J&K leaders welcome Farooq’s release, hope it rekindles political activity in UT
Better late than never, Farooq Abdullah should not have been detained in the first place, say Opposition leaders
JAMMU: Opposition leaders on Friday welcomed the release of Farooq Abdullah, president of the National Conference, threetime chief minister (CM) of Jammu & Kashmir and a sitting Lok Sabha member.
“Revocation of Dr Abdullah’s Public Safety Act [PSA] is a step to correct one wrong among many wrongs. Though late, the decision to revoke PSA of Dr Abdullah is welcome. The government must also release political leaders, activists and civil society members, who have been detained arbitrarily since August 5,” said Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami.
The politicians have been detained because of political vendetta by the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre, he alleged.
The former J&K legislator said that some of the detainees were shifted to prisons outside the newly carved out Union Territory and they were still languishing there. “The cases of all the detainees in Kashmir must be reviewed. The curbs on democratic activities, which have been going on since August 5, need to be lifted immediately”, he said.
Panthers Party chairman and former education minister Harsh Dev Singh also welcomed Dr Abdullah’s release.
“He should not have been detained in the first place. He is always talking of India and has been used by successive governments for anti-Pakistan campaigns. He chants ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Who does this in Kashmir? Which other leader in Kashmir has the courage to chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’? he asked.
Singh hoped that Dr Abdullah will contribute to restoring peace in the coming days.
He, however, also had a word of advice for the government. “One should take opposition leaders into confidence rather than harassing them and muzzling their voice. I feel Dr Abdullah should work for the restoration of statehood. Article 370 is now gone and there is no use crying over spilt milk,” he said.
J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president Ghulam Ahmad Mir said, “Better late than never. But there was no logic behind Dr Abdullah’s detention.”
“Double standards of the BJP won’t work anymore. People are not ready to accept the BJP government’s duplicity,” Mir said.
J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina hoped that Dr Abdullah would work for the welfare of the people.
“I hope that Dr Abdullah being an MP will work for the betterment of the people of J&K and will help in maintaining brotherhood and peace in Kashmir. I hope he will abide by the Constitution of India and will not instigate the youth against the nation,” he said.