Abdullah’s PSA revoked, released after 7 months

National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah (MP) whose PSA was revoked by the authorities flanked by his wife Molly, daughter Safia Abdullah and grandson in the lawns of his Gupkar house in Srinagar on Friday. (UNI)
National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah (MP) whose PSA was revoked by the authorities flanked by his wife Molly, daughter Safia Abdullah and grandson in the lawns of his Gupkar house in Srinagar on Friday. (UNI)

Will talk on politics when all are released: Farooq
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Mar 13: Government today released National Conference (NC) president and Member of Parliament, Srinagar, Dr Farooq Abdullah, after over seven months of detention.
His release comes after Government revoked his detention under Public Safety Act (PSA) this morning. The PSA was invoked against him last year in August. Soon after his release he went to pay obeisance at the grave of his father Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah at Hazratbal.
Upon release, Abdullah appeared before the media along with his wife, daughter and grandchildren. “I am grateful to people of J&K and of the nation and those who spoke for our freedom. This freedom is incomplete till all other leaders like Mehbooba and Omar Abdullah are released. Also those in the MLA hostel and outside. I hope Government of India will take action soon, to see all live as free citizens”, he said in a brief interaction.
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Abdullah refused to speak on any political issue till other leaders who were detained in August are not released. “I will not answer any of the questions; will not comment on any political issue till everyone is released. It is only when they will be released then I will be able to talk to you on political matters”, he said.
He was excited due to his release and said that he is free and hoped others will also be free. “Thank God, this gate is finally open; we tried for so many months to see this gate open. I don’t have words to express the way I feel today. I am free. I am free. I hope my people will be free”, he said.
Abdullah hoped that he will attend Parliament and speak for his people. “I hope I will be able to go to Delhi and attend Parliament and speak for the people”, he said.
Principal Secretary, Home, Shaleen Kabra, in an order, said the detention of Dr. Abdullah under the Public Safety Act (PSA), issued on September 15, has been withdrawn, ending his detention immediately.
The order read: “In exercise of powers conferred under section 19(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978, the Government hereby revokes the detention order bearing No. DMS/PSA/120/2019 dated 15-09-2019 issued by District Magistrate, Srinagar, extended for a period of 3 months vide Government order No. Home/PB-V/668 of 2020 dated 11-03-2020 of Dr Farooq Abdullah S/o Late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah R/o Gupkar Road, Srinagar with immediate effect.”
Abdullah, 82, remained under house arrest after the government booked him under the stringent PSA and lodged him in his own house on Gupkar Road, which was designated as a sub-jail. The Home Department had in December extended his detention by another three months.
His release is the first of the three detained former Chief Ministers of the erstwhile State. NC vice president Omar Abdullah and People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti continue to remain in detention.
Abdullah, along with son Omar and former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, were detained on August 4 last year, a day before the Centre stripped Jammu and Kashmir of special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.
Earlier this week, a group of Opposition leaders had sought the immediate release of the three former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir. “It is our bounden duty to demand the immediate release of the three former Chief Ministers of J&K and all the other political detainees,” read the statement from the Opposition leaders, which was posted by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on his Twitter handle on Monday.
Meanwhile, former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said he welcomed Abdullah’s “belated release” and hoped that “…He will soon resume his rightful place on the front bench of the Lok Sabha, where he can address with his usual compelling vigour the issues facing his state and the state of the nation. His detention was a disgrace.”
Iltija Mufti, daughter of incarcerated PDP president and former J and K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti demanded the release of all those detained following revocation of the special status of the erstwhile state under Article 370 of the Constitution.
“Time to release all detainees including thousands of young men languishing in jails outside J&K. This has gone on for far too long & must end now,” Iltija tweeted.
Senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said Abdullah’s release was long overdue. “The imposition of PSA on and detention of Dr Farooq Abdullah was illegal, undemocratic and unconstitutional. We have all been concerned about his health and well being. His release was long overdue”.
The CPI(M) in Jammu and Kashmir described Abdullah’s release as a “step to correct one wrong among many wrongs”.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee said she prayed for the long life of Abdullah and hoped that the other two former Chief Ministers — Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti — will soon be released and “allowed to join the democratic process immediately.”

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