Hitting out at the government for imposing Public Safety Act (PSA) on National Conference (NC) president and MP Farooq Abdullah, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday said democracy should be restored in J&K for any political process to start.
He said also demanded for the release of political detainees, including two former chief minister Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, booked under PSA. “Democracy can be restored once all the leaders behind bars — either in jails or in guest houses or under particular act — are released. Let every individual of J&K be released from jail. Let democracy prevail and then we can pick up other fights,” Mr Azad told reporters during a press conference here on Saturday.
The senior Congress leader, who met Dr Abdullah here on Saturday, also called for restoration of statehood to J&K. “The decision to declare the state of Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory is an insult to the people of the state. It must be revoked. Jammu and Kashmir should be declared a state again,” he alleged.
He further said that he met Dr Abdullah on behalf of all the MPs and opposition parties who have been taking about the release of the former chief minister. “I am happy I could speak to Dr Abdullah after more than seven months. He has been kept under detention. People who have committed a crime are usually detained like this but here they have been detained for no reason. I have not only come in my personal capacity but on behalf of all the MPs and parties who have been constantly talking about his release,” he said.