Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 10: Amid ruckus over release of separatist leader Masarat Alam, coalition partner BJP today said freeing political prisoners is not a problem as long as they are taken into confidence.
BJP State Secretary Ashok Koul said that they knew such things would happen and the party was not against the release of political prisoners.
He said that such moves should take place after adopting a system.
“We have no opposition with releasing the people who have no criminal conviction against them. But such moves should take place with our consensus,” Koul told reporters here.
Explaining the phrase “adopting a system”, he said that a team should have been formed to deal with the issue of releasing of political prisoners.
“Since Mufti Sayeed is holding the Home Ministry portfolio, a team should be formed to deal with such issues, and then take a decision under a proper system. Such things can be done under the system,” he said.
He said that their legislators met Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed and told him that releasing political prisoners “is good.”
“But in the same meeting, we told Mufti Sayeed that Masarat Alam should be re-arrested if he repeats his statements that ‘he has come out of a small jail to a big jail’,” he said.
On talks with separatists, Koul said that they are open to talks with them. “There is no problem in holding talks with them. It is a part of our CMP,” he added.
He said that the Government will study the case of jailed separatist leader Mohammad Qasim Faktoo and will take the final decision after going through the charges against him.
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