Former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has been detained under the Public Safety Act (File)

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal today hit out at the government over the detention of Farooq Abdullah under the Public Safety Act and questioned whether the step was prompted by MDMK chief Vaiko's plea in the Supreme Court seeking a directive that the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister be produced before it.

Mr Abdullah has now been detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), which enables authorities to detain any individual for two years without trial.

The 81-year-old patron of the National Conference has been under detention shortly after August 5 when the Centre announced abrogation of the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into two union territories.

"Now PSA (43 days later). Earlier BJP said 92% of people in J&K welcome dilution of Article 370; that normalcy prevails. Then Amit Shah in Parliament: Farooq Abdullah neither detained nor arrested," Mr Sibal said in a tweet.

"If no danger to public safety then, why now? Because Vaiko filed petition?" he asked.

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration to respond to Mr Vaiko's plea seeking that the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister be produced before the court.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices SA Bobde and SA Nazeer issued notice to the Centre and the state, and fixed Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko's plea for hearing on September 30.

