| Two NC MPs meet Farooq Abdullah, to call on Omar today: Report | | |
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Sept 12: Two National Conference (NC) leaders on Thursday met party president Farooq Abdullah, who has been under house arrest since the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. As per reports, NC MPs Justice Hasnain Masoodi and Akbar Lone will meet party vice president Omar Abdullah tomorrow. Notably, Omar Abdullah, who was arrested in the first week of August, has been lodged in Hari Niwas. As per informed sources, the meetings could be an attempt by the political class in the Valley to get its cadres going. Parliament had on August 5 approved the abrogation of Article 370, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and gave its nod to the Centre's proposal that the state be bifurcated into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Notable Jammu and Kashmir poiticians, like Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, are either under house arrest or detention since August 5.
In another development, Rajya Sabha MP and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) founder Vaiko yesterday moved the Supreme Court, urging it to direct the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir to produce Farooq Abdullah before the court.
Vaiko, in his plea, said that authorities should give permission to Abdullah to participate in a "peaceful and democratic" annual conference in Chennai on September 15. The conference is organised on the occasion of the birthday of former Tamil Nadu chief minister CN Annadurai.
Saying that the NC leader has been deprived of constitutional rights "on account of illegal detention without any authority of law", Vaiko said: "The actions of the respondents (Centre and Jammu and Kashmir) are completely illegal and arbitrary and violative of the right to protection of life and personal liberty, right to protection from arrest and detention and also against right to free speech and expression which is the cornerstone of a democratic nation."
"The right to free speech and expression is considered to have paramount importance in a democracy as it allows its citizens to effectively take part in the governance of the country," the plea added.
Vaiko added that he had telephoned Abdullah on August 4 to extend the invitation for September 15 event. Abdullah had, during the conversation, "verbally communicated" that he would be pleased to attend the conference, claimed Vaiko.
However, on or around August 5, Abdullah was placed under detention in Srinagar.
Vaiko said that the refusal to allow Abdullah to attend the conference is illegal and breaches Articles 21, 22 and 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution. |
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