The Srinagar’s regional passport office has rejected former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s application for a passport as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has opposed it by reporting her case as “detrimental to the security of India”, she said on Monday.

Mehbooba had applied for a new passport in December last year as her earlier one had expired.

The CID of the J&K Police has opposed issuance of passport to Mehbooba citing “adverse report” against her. Hitting out at the central government, Mehbooba took to Twitter to say that she has been denied a passport based on a report by the CID and asked if an ex-CM was a threat to the nation.

It is worth mentioning that Mehbooba was chief minister till 2018 June with the support of BJP and was later detained under the Public Safety Act after the Article 370 was abrogated by the centre on 5 August 2019.

Mehbooba Mufti tweeted, “Passport Office refused to issue my passport based on CID’s report citing it as ‘detrimental to the security of India. This is the level of normalcy achieved in Kashmir since Aug 2019 that an ex-Chief Minister holding a passport is a threat to the sovereignty of a mighty nation.”

Mehbooba Mufti also attached a copy of the letter she received from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) which reads: “Whereas the passport verification report received from the Additional Director General of the Police, J&K CID do not favour issuance of passport and has returned as Not recommended passport case.”

The passport officer has informed Mehbooba that her application for passport has been rejected as the CID of the Union Territory had recommended against granting the document to her.

The letter adds that Mehbooba can appeal against the decision at a higher forum provided by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

National Conference leader, Omar Abdullah also criticized the government for not issuing a passport to Mehbooba. What a shame J&K Police is going along with this farce. How is it that Mehbooba Mufti was not a threat to the nation when her party was allied with the BJP? As Chief Minister she was incharge of the Home Department & head of the Unified Command, now suddenly she’s a threat,” he tweeted.

Rejection of Mehbooba’s application has come days after she was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged case of money laundering. She alleged that dissent has been criminalized by the BJP government.

She also made allegations of the government of India trying to dismantle the PDP by “luring and threatening” its members. Investigative agencies like ED are being used to intimidate “me”, she claimed in a tweet.