Home Ministry issues first statement on Farooq Abdullah's release: 'No intent to detain'

Reacting on the release of Farooq Abdullah from detention, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy on Saturday said they have no intention to keep leaders in detention and soon other political detainees will also be released in Jammu and Kashmir. Reddy stated that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have a right to basic infrastructure and development.

Speaking to the media, Reddy said, "We have no intention to keep anyone in jail but in Jammu and Kashmir, some people had to be kept inside to continue the smooth running of the state. All people will be released soon. To give equal rights and development to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the central government eradicated Article 370. Now the state is leading into a peaceful path," he added.

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Farooq Abdullah's release

On March 13, the Jammu and Kashmir government revoked the detention order of National Conference chief and Lok Sabha MP Farooq Abdullah. He then came to his terrace at his Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar, and spoke to media, stating that he is free now. The former Chief Minister of J&K thanked the people of the state and the country for standing by his side and wished that the people of his state will be free soon but refused to comment on political affairs till all the J&K leaders including his son Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is released.

Rohit Kansal, the principal secretary of Planning, Development and Monitoring Department of Jammu Kashmir, posted a letter on Twitter on Friday, stating the government order. The order said that the government has decided to revoke the PSA imposed on senior Abdullah with immediate effect. Abdullah and other J&K leaders were placed under preventive detention on August 5 last year ahead of the abrogation of the special status of the erstwhile state - which was extended for three more months on December 16.

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PSA against Mehbooba Mufti & Omar Abdullah

Earlier on February 6, the J&K administration slapped the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) against Mehbooba Mufti and former CM Omar Abdullah, reportedly a day before their detention was supposed to end. Apart from the above-mentioned leaders, Shah Faesel, Naeem Akhtar, Ali Mohammad Sagar, and Sarah Madni have been detained under the Public Safety Act by the Jammu-Kashmir administration since August 5. Meanwhile, ex-PDP minister Altaf Bukhari along with 40 other leaders has launched Kashmir's new political front 'Jammu Kashmir Apni party', accepting the 'undeniable reality' of scrapping Article 370 by the Centre.rs to the region.

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