Kashmir's Political Leaders, in Detention Since Govt's Art 370 Move, Will be Released 'One by One'

Jammu: Political leaders of Kashmir, who have been under detention since the government scrapped the special status of the state and divided it into two Union Territories, will be "released one by one" after analysis of every individual, adviser to J&K Governor Farooq Khan has said.

The statement comes after the detention of all political leaders in Jammu came to an end on Wednesday ahead of the Block Development Council elections on October 24.

Leaders from political parties like National Conference (NC), Congress and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) — who were put under preventive detention since August 5 when the Centre scrapped the special status of the state — were allowed to move out of their houses.

NC leaders Devender Rana and SS Salathia, Congress' Raman Bhalla and Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh are among the prominent leaders who are no longer under house arrest.

Political leaders in Kashmir — including NC’s Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and J&K People's Conference leader Sajjad Gani Lone — continue to be in detention.

Nearly 400 political leaders were either detained or placed under house arrest as the Centre ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories — J&K and Ladakh.

Over 250 petitions have been filed against the preventive detention orders against prominent political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. Petitions have also been filed in the Supreme Court against the detentions.

Meanwhile, reaching out to the people of Kashmir with the message "every Kashmiri is ours", BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday assured them that the Modi government has taken up the responsibility to safeguard their interests on land and culture.

He termed Article 370 "anti-people and biggest hurdle" in the development of Jammu and Kashmir, trashing the allegation the provision was revoked to own the land but not the people. He said only 200-250 people are in preventive detention and that this was temporary.

Madhav said scrapping Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, has started a new chapter of development based on Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of non-violence and unity.

"The interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, their land, their culture and their development, whatever is their interest, the full responsibility of safeguarding these (interests) is taken up by the government led by Modiji," he said at an event here. He said there is no reason to doubt it.