Tamil Nadu leader Vaiko moves Supreme Court to seek Farooq Abdullah’s release

Help for detained former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah has finally arrived from Chennai. Worried about the well-being of the veteran politician, Tamil Nadu leader Vaiko approached the Supreme Court on Wednesday to determine Abdullah’s whereabouts because he was scheduled to address a convention in Chennai on September 15 as part of birth anniversary celebrations of CN Annadurai, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Vaiko, in his habeas corpus petition, has requested the apex court to produce Abdullah as he has had no word from him since August 5. After that, Vaiko contacted the government authorities seeking permission to know his whereabouts since he was supposed to address the public meeting organised by Vaiko’s political outfit Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK).

This is the first petition in the Supreme Court which is seeking the production of a political leader from J&K ever since all political leaders, including two other former CMs — Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti — have been put in detention. The last time the Court intervened was last week when it allowed Mehbooba’s daughter Iltija to visit her mother in Srinagar and have a private meeting.

For Abdullah, though, no family member has come forward, but a political well-wisher who has taken this step to come to Court. Vaiko in his petition said, “It is respectfully prayed that this Court may direct the Union of India to produce the body (presence) of Farooq Abdullah before this Court and set him at liberty and permit him to attend the conference being organised by the petitioner in Chennai on September 15.”

The petition linked its prayer with Abdullah’s constitutional freedom as a citizen of the country, to a right of personal liberty under Article 21 and right to free speech and expression.