Rahul Gandhi seeks Mehbooba Mufti’s release amid buzz over Abdullahs\' move

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has come out strongly against the continued detention of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and has demanded her release.

While Gandhi’s show of solidarity to Mufti came after the authorities extended by another three months her detention under the Public Safety Act, Congress circles also see Gandhi’s move in the context of the persisting buzz about a deal in NC leaders Farooq/Omar Abdullahs’ earlier release and its link with the toppling bid by Sachin Pilot (son-in-law of Farooq) and his supporting MLAs, along with BJP on the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan .

“India’s democracy is damaged when GOI illegally detains political leaders. It’s high time Mehbooba Mufti is released,” Gandhi tweeted.