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Opposition parties targeted the Centre over the detention of about 300 political leaders in the Kashmir Valley and accused it of muzzling the voices of dissent. Opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha anda former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Ghulam Nabi Azad, said on Thursday that he was detained and sent back to Delhi from Srinagar airport.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury sent a letter to State Governor Satya Pal Malik stating that he will visit his party leaders on Friday.
Azad’s statement criticising National Security Advisor Ajit Doval also sparked a controversy. When asked about Doval’s interaction with local people, Azad said: “ Paise dekar aap kisiko bhi saath le sakte ho (Anyone can be brought along with money).”
The BJP said such statements will be used by Pakistan at global forums.
“These accusations come from the people of Pakistan. This is not expected from the Congress. How can you make these accusations? This statement will be used by Pakistan on global forums. He should immediately apologise for the comments,” said BJP spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain.
Kashmir at halt
Commenting on his brief detention, Azad said he was going to Kashmir to join the people in the time of suffering. “People of Jammu and Kashmir are angry. There is no internet, no vehicular movement. It is the first State where a law is passed after the imposition of a curfew,” he said.
Yechury sent a letter to Malik saying that he will visit the State on Friday to meet his party’s senior leader and MLA in the dissolved Assembly, Mohd Yusuf Tarigami.
“I wish to visit Mohd Yusuf Tarigami (who I was informed, is not keeping good health) and other members of my party. I propose to reach Srinagar on the 9th morning to meet them. I hope the administration will not create any hurdles in discharging my responsibilities as a leader of my party,” Yechury said in the letter.
Permission has not been provided to him so far.
Senior Congress leader from the State Karan Singh took a different position than that of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on the matter. “I personally do not agree with a blanket condemnation of these developments. There are several positive points,” said Singh.
‘Fair division of power’
He said, “Ladakh’s emergence as a UT is to be welcomed...The gender discrimination in Article 35A needed to be addressed as also the long awaited enfranchisement of West Pakistan refugees and reservation for Scheduled Tribes will be welcomed.” He added the bifurcation of the State will ensure delimitation in future.
“There will be a fresh delimitation which, for the first time, will ensure a fair division of political power between the Jammu and Kashmir regions,” he said.
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