Kashmir situation paved way for release

NEW DELHI: National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah was released on Friday from detention a couple of days after the Jammu and Kashmir administration renewed his detention under the Public Safety Act for another three months for the third time on March 11.

The release comes after much deliberation in the top echelon of the government. “The top three in the government – the Prime Minister, defence minister and home Minister – have been keeping a close and continuous watch on the Jammu and Kashmir situation. The government did consider releasing the octogenarian leader but not allowing him into Kashmir till the law and order situation was agreeable,” a senior government official, who didn’t wish to be named, said. “The matter was, however, left to Union home minister Amit Shah and the Jammu and Kashmir administration,” he added.

“Satisfactory law and order situation and return of normal life in the Jammu and Kashmir also contributed to the decision of releasing Abdullah,” a second senior official in the Jammu and Kashmir administration, who didn’t want to be named, said. “The political narrative in Jammu and Kashmir have moved from restoration of special status to restoration of statehood. And, the Centre is not averse to restoring statehood,” he added.

On August 5, the Centre scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and split the state into two union territories. Over 7,000 people, including mainstream political leaders such Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti – all former chief ministers of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir – were put under preventive detention. In Jammu and Kashmir, 450 people are still in detention.

“The issue of detention of leaders of Jammu and Kashmir had been raised in Parliament and even internationally. But, importantly, it was felt that the situation doesn’t warrant his detention anymore,” a third senior official, who did not want to be named, said.