On August 5, the government had detained several mainstream leaders to avoid mass mobilisation against the decision that removed the special status of Jammu & Kashmir and divided it into two union territories.
National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Sunday appealed to the Centre to shift all political leaders detained in prisons outside J&K, in the wake of abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, to the erstwhile state of J&K before their release.
"While we would like to see them all released as soon as possible, pending that they should be shifted to J&K. This is a humanitarian demand & I hope others will join me in placing this demand in front of the government of India," Abdullah told the media.
"Before we allow politics to divide us I appeal to all political leaders here to unite behind the call to the union government to bring back all detainees from J&K in prisons outside, pending their release," he added.
He also said that among all the political detainees, he was the most privileged considering that his family had access to him while he was in house arrest.
"I'm acutely aware that compared to hundreds of Kashmiri families I've been far more fortunate. I was detained at home&my family had access to me. Yesterday when I went to meet my son Omar, I had to travel a kilometre from my home to be able to see him," he said.
He also alerted the media that there was still a long way to go before the environment was conducive enough to talk about the seismic change that occurred in the erstwhile due to events that happened on August 5 last year.
"While I believe a free&frank exchange of political views is essential so that we can take stock of the momentous changes that J&K has seen after 5th Aug 2019, we're still some way away from an environment where such political discourse will be possible," National Conference leader said.
It must be noted that on Friday the government issued orders to revoke detention of former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah. The leader was put under house arrest, a day before the Centre moved a motion in the parliament to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of Indian Constitution.
Subsequently, after his release, Farooq visited his son Omar Abdullah at the place where he is detained in Srinagar under Public Safety Act (PSA). On Saturday, Farooq drove from his residence to nearby Hari Nivas where his son is kept under preventive custody.
According to reports, the National Conference chairman can take part in parliament session from March 16 onwards.
Meanwhile, Farooq Abdullah's daughter Sara Abdullah has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging Omar Abdullah's (Farooq Abdullah's son) detention in the Supreme Court. Six months after top leaders from Jammu and Kashmir were put under preventive custody, the Union Territory administration on February 5 slapped stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) on former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah and two other politicians from National Conference and PDP.
In the petition, Sara Pilot observed that there are no "material facts which are imperative for an order of detention."
"The grounds for the detention order are wholly lacking any material facts or particulars which are imperative for an order of detention," the plea pointed out.
"It is rare that those who have served the nation as members of Parliaments, Chief Ministers of state, ministers in the union and have also stood by the national aspirations of India are now perceived as a threat to the state," the plea further stated.
On August 5, the government had detained several mainstream leaders to avoid mass mobilisation against the decision that removed the special status of Jammu & Kashmir and divided it into two union territories.
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