Congress leaders on Tuesday condemned the detention of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah under the Public Safety Act.
Former party chief Rahul Gandhi accused the Union government of “using Kashmir as a political instrument to polarise the rest of India”, and said that jailing of mainstream political leaders like Mr. Abdullah would create space for terrorists.
“It’s obvious that the government is trying to remove nationalist leaders like Farooq Abdullah ji to create a political vacuum in Jammu & Kashmir that will be filled by terrorists. Kashmir can then permanently be used as a political instrument to polarise the rest of India,” Mr. Gandhi tweeted.
Mr. Gandhi urged the Centre to release all the jailed political prisoners immediately. “The government should stop creating space for terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir and release all nationalist leaders ASAP [as soon as possible],” he said.
Former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, who is lodged in the Tihar jail in an alleged corruption case, condemned the arrest of Mr. Abdullah.
“I have asked my family to tweet on my behalf the following: I condemn the detention of Shri Farooq Abdullah under PSA. There is no one in Kashmir more devoted to the idea of a united India of which J&K is an integral part than Shri Farooq Abdullah,” Mr. Chidambaram’s official handle said.
“Now PSA (43 days later). Earlier BJP said 92% of people in J&K welcome dilution of Article 370; that normalcy prevails. Then Amit Shah in Parliament: Farooq Abdullah neither detained nor arrested. If no danger to public safety then, why now? Because Vaiko filed petition?” asked the former Law Minister Kapil Sibal.
Former Union Minister Ashwani Kumar said the arrest of Farooq Abdullah would delay the return of normalcy.
