New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS): A group of 267 retired civil servants and veterans of the Indian Armed Forces hit out at former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah, head of signatories to the Gupkar Declaration, for their recent anti-India speeches, saying it a "misuse of freedom of expression" and demanded strict action against them.

They mentioned Mufti's declaration that she will not hoist the national flag of India in Kashmir till the flag of Kashmir is hoisted, and Abdullah's statement that "Article 370 will be restored with help of China".

The group, which includes All India Civil Services and Police officers, Army, Air Force and Navy veterans, academia and professionals and two ex-judges has clarified that they are pursuing their expression without any political or partisan agenda.

The group, in a statement, said that they are disturbed with the manner in which certain vested interests have been continuously trying to misuse the freedom of expression, talking ill about the country and its Constitution, and trying to promote separatism.

"And while doing this, they speak the language of the countries that are hostile to India; and do not hesitate to seek cooperation from them," said the group.

As per the group, Mufti has crossed all limits of nationalistic and legal propriety and made herself liable to prosecution by contemptuously declaring that she will not hoist the national flag of India in Kashmir till the flag of Kashmir is hoisted.

"This is a direct insult to the honour and dignity of the national flag, which is the most sacred symbol of national sovereignty and integrity."

The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, provides that whoever shows disrespect to or brings into contempt, whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts, the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

Through her provocative utterances, Mufti has further incited the people of Kashmir to cause disaffection leading to disturbance of public order.

In the statement, the group mentions that Section 124A IPC states that "whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law in India, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which a fine may be added; or, with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which a fine may be added; or, with fine".

"Further, the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978 (PSA) is a preventive detention law under which a person is taken into custody to prevent them from acting harmfully against "the security of the state or the maintenance of the public order".

The head of the Gupkar group of signatories, Dr Farooq Abdullah, said Article 370 will be restored with the help of China, the statement mentioned.

"When faced with a prosecution facing 'sedition' charge, in his customary flip-flop political flirting, he staged a somersault to wriggle out of an indefensible position by saying that his words and gestures did not amount to being anti-national, but simply an opposition to the ruling political party at the Centre."

Both Mufti and Abdullah have rendered themselves squarely liable to be detained under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978; and, further, to be prosecuted under Section 124 A of the IPC for sedition, the group demanded.

On August 4 last year - a day before the special status under Article 370 of the Constitution of India was revoked - the signatories of Gupkar Declaration had vowed to "defend identity, autonomy and special status" of Jammu and Kashmir, meaning thereby that they were striving to reverse the historical landmark of real unification of India as one nation.

They have perhaps conveniently forgotten that abolition of the special status under the aegis of Article 370 of the Constitution of India was one of the foremost promises that the present Government at the Centre had made to the people of India, added the statement.