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| Post UT Creation, Govt to hold talks with incarcerated politicians | | Detained leaders not to be released anytime soon | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Oct 25: The fate of scores of the detained political leaders in Kashmir continues to hang in balance even when the Jammu and Kashmir is treading towards becoming a Union Territory on October 31, this year.
As per the reports coming to the fore, the government is still indecisive over what should be done with the politicians it had detained on August and placed in various detention centres including the famed hotel located on the famed water body Dal Lake.
Sources divulged that these leaders which include former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti besides an estimated 50 other senior politicians who have been kept under preventive custody by the government. "There has been no decision taken vis-a-vis the detention of these leaders. There are however probabilities that they shall not be released anytime soon and will have to continue to remain under the detention," says an official.
He added that there are discussions however going on at present that these detained politicians may be shifted to Jammu where restrictions can be put in place upon their movement. "However, nothing concrete can be said as of now. Every option is being seriously weighed," divulged the official.
There are also reports coming to the fore that a meeting recently was held about the ground situation and whether releasing these leaders would be feasible in near future. On August 5, this year, the union government scrapped Article 370 that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The government also bifurcated the state into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Apprehending that the leaders of various mainstream political groups could instigate protests and there could be a spike in incidents of violence, these leaders were kept in various make-shift jails. The detainees include three former chief ministers namely Dr Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti. Though Farooq Abdullah has been slapped with PSA under which he cannot contest his trail for the minimum period of six months, Omar and Mehbooba have so far been kept under preventive custody.
As per the reports, apart from Mirwaiz, two leaders of National Conference, one each from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and two others, whose political affiliations were not immediately revealed, had signed the bonds.
Pertinently, at least 36 detainees have been lodged in sub-jail Centaur since August 5. Mirwaiz was placed under house detention on August 5, in the wake of scrapping of Article 370 and Article 35 A. Mirwaiz, who has been a key leader of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani and JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik. Geelani remains confined to his Hyderpora residence while as Malik has been booked by NIA court and stands lodged in New Delhi's Tihar. The trio had vociferously opposed any change in the State Subject Law guaranteed under Article 35A.
Meanwhile, a senior official told Early Times that post the creation of UT, the government may hold talks with the incarcerated leaders and will try to negotiate terms with them so that peace in the state remains intact. "Till the time there is a final decision taken in this regard, it is all going to be mirror and smoke. We all have to wait and watch," the official said. |
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