Opp. questions detention of Farooq

Congress members along with other Opp. parties walked out of the House

“Where is Farooq Abdullah? Why is he being prevented from performing his duties as a MP?” questioned Opposition parties as they staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha to protest Mr Abdullah’s detention in the wake of the abrogation of article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir last August.

Mr Abdullah and his son Omar — both former chief ministers of J&K; and PDP leader and also former CM — Mehbooba Mufti are among several political leaders kept under detention under the stringent Public Safety Act in J&K to prevent them from speaking to the public.

“Three former chief ministers including Farooq Abdullah are languishing in jails for the past six months. They have been put behind bars without giving any proper reason. He has been illegally detained,” said Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury while demanding the release of Mr Abdullah during zero hour.

Another Congress member Kodikunnil Suresh also raised the matter but was cut short by speaker Om Birla following which, the Congress and other Opposition members entered the well of the house and started raising slogans of “Save the Constitution”.

“It is the responsibility of the government and the house to ensure his welfare and also that he exercises his right as an elected representative,” Mr Suresh said even as Congress and other Opposition members walked out of the house in protest.

Trinamul Congress leader Sudip Bandopadhyay, while raising the issue of the detention of Mr Abdullah, said that the same was also raised during all-party meetings and business advisory committee meetings. “I would request the government to intimate this house at least about his health condition,” Mr Bandopadhyay said.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted saying, “It’s been six months since two exchief ministers have been incarcerated without any charges and millions of people were locked down in J&K. Six months ago, we were asking how long this will carry on? Now we are asking whether we are still a democracy or not.”