'Emergence of newer leadership continuous process': Ram Madhav bats for new leaders coming from grassroots in Kashmir

As mainstream political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including three former chief ministers, remain under detention following the abrogation of Article 370, BJP leader Ram Madhav on Tuesday said his party was in "favour of new leaders coming from the grassroots level of the valley." 

Madhav said the BJP has "huge respect for political leaders of different parties in the valley" and they will "soon resume their political activity."

His remarks come amid the demands in Lok Sabha that National Conference chairman Farooq Abdullah and Srinagar MP should be allowed to attend the winter session of the Parliament. Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar and Mehbooba Mufti - all former chief ministers of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir - have been under detention since August 5 when the decision to abrogate Article 370, ending the special status of J&K, was announced. 

Speaking on the question of a new political class in valley being cultivated from Delhi, Madhav said, "No such thing happening from our side. We have huge respect for political leaders of different parties in the valley. Earliest possible, they will resume their political activity."

"Omar Abdullah or Mehbooba Mufti, once they have the opportunity to come back and restore their political activity, I am sure they will definitely have the role to play in state politics. But, emergence of a newer leadership is a continuous process," said BJP's national general secretary while addressing an event. 

He further said, "It happens in the rest of the country, it happens at Delhi-level. So, we are in favour of new leaders coming from the grassroots level of the valley."

He said political engagement in the newly-formed Union Territory should resume "sooner than later".

"I am personally in favour of, at least now that almost 100 days have passed since the decision was taken, some kind of political engagement to start in the valley. I am talking about it (beginning political engagement in the valley) in my party also. Hopefully, we will be able to do something about it," he said.

Defending the government's decision to detain the leaders, Madhav said no one can deny the fact that the leaders who are currently in preventive custody will lead protests once they will be allowed to walk free.

"We will also have to ensure that those protests need to be democratic and peaceful. That is expected. Nobody says there should not be any protest. It is a democracy, protests will be there," he said.

He said J&k administration and the Centre will take a decision over the opening up of "political space" in the UT in due course of time.