J&K leaders will be released soon, says Ram Madhav

‘Art. 370 was like cancer’

Hyderabad, Oct. 4: Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav on Friday said leaders, who are currently under house arrest in Jammu and Kashmir, will be released soon and they can resume their “normal” political activity.

Speaking at ‘Jana Jagaran Sabha’ on abrogation of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP general secretary said once governors rule is lifted and legislature takes over, constitutional entities such as Commissions for SC, women and minorities will be set up in the region.

Describing Article 370 as cancer for the past 70 years he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed it in just 70 hours.

He said the region which used to reel under law and order problems for months together is now becoming peaceful after over 200 leaders of the state were under house arrest. “There is this propaganda that you have arrested thousands of people (in J&K). Let me tell you today that those 200 plus leaders are in preventive detention. Preventive detention is a normal law and order arrangement. It doesn’t amount to human rights violation.

Preventive detention in five star hotels with good facilities with TVs and books and all those things, is a temporary measure to ensure law and order,” he said.

The state was largely quiet barring a few incidents with 200 people in jail, he claimed.

“Now you can imagine how effective this preventive detention is. Please don’t mistake me that these people will be jail forever. No. Very soon they will have their freedom. We want normal political activity to be restored in the state. But it has to be normal political activity,” he added.