Srinagar: High drama unfolded at the circuit house here Thursday as former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah was prevented from meeting AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who was detained on the premises to prevent him from protesting against the detention of party MLA under PSA.
The police action, separating the two leaders by a locked gate, was condemned by Abdullah as a direct assault on constitutional values.
Singh was scheduled to hold a protest against the recent arrest and detention of his party colleague and Doda MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
Abdullah, who is the National Conference chief, had reached there to offer solidarity, only to be stopped at the gates.
This is the situation here, said a frustrated Abdullah. Elected government in place, but it looks like the strings are being operated by the Lieutenant Governor (Manoj Sinha)!
He criticised the restrictions, saying that protesting is a constitutional right and that the LG was abusing his powers.
On the opposite side of the gates, AAP’s Singh became an impromptu acrobat. The Rajya Sabha member used a chair to get a better vantage point, arguing with the police.
He’s a former Chief Minister! I’m a Member of Parliament! What’s the problem? What’s the crime? Are you saying two MPs can’t even exchange pleasantries? he asked.
There was a sight of Singh perched precariously on a plastic chair, passionately arguing with the police, while Abdullah stood outside the gates, equally passionate.
He’s not here to throw stones or fire guns, Abdullah said, perhaps in a subtle nod to the more conventional forms of protest. He just wants to speak within the bounds of the Constitution.
The police, however, remained unmoved, leaving the two leaders to talk to each other across a locked gate.
Later, talking to PTI videos, Abdullah expressed concerns over the state of democracy in the region, after he was prevented from meeting Singh.
Terming the incident as a direct assault on constitutional values, the veteran politician said, I am very saddened by the fact that the Constitution is being destroyed.
Everyone has the freedom to speak their mind. There was no stoning, no bombing. They had come to do a peaceful protest, but even that was not allowed. Sanjay Singh had come here to express sympathy for his arrested MLA, Mehraj Malik. I had simply gone to see how they were, to meet an old friend from Parliament. But the gates were locked from the outside, he said.
Abdullah said he held no grudges against the police and added they were acting on orders from above. However, he called the decision to prevent the meeting and detain Singh a clear violation of democratic principles.
I have been requesting for a long time that we must act within the limits of the Constitution. What happened today was totally against it, he said.
The National Conference chief also weighed in on the detention of Mehraj Malik under the PSA, calling it an overreaction.
The government did not need to file a PSA, he said, adding that they could have resolved the issue with simple talks. Sometimes a person says many things in anger and later regrets it. But you have locked him up.
Abdullah cautioned that the actions would only further anger the people and cause unrest, as seen in the current shutdown and prohibitory orders in Doda.
How will the MLA sympathisers, who have voted for him, digest the fact that their representative is behind bars, he asked, urging the LG to act.
Abdullah also compared the current political unrest with an unrelated occurrence at the Hazratbal shrine, inferring the PSA against Malik was a diversionary measure.
He condemned the move to put a national emblem on the shrine as unnecessary and provocative.
Abdullah was also concerned about national issues such as inflation and the decline of the tourism industry. The poor are being crushed, he said.
Hoteliers and tourism operators have taken bank loans, and their interest rates will keep rising. They will drown in it. Instead of focusing on these critical issues, the government is involved in things that will cause more trouble, he added.
He also touched upon the state of international relations, referring to the trade disputes between the US and India.
He called out the hypocrisy of US President Donald Trump’s friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pointing to the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
Is this what a friend does he asked, concluding that a nation’s self-interest always comes first. We should also think, ‘India is first’.
Abdullah also called for a return to constitutional values, urging leaders to listen to each other and respect the right to speak.
He also raised the issue of vacant Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, expressing surprise at the government’s failure to conduct elections.
If those who are sitting in the government to protect the Constitution don’t respect it, what can Farooq Abdullah say?.
PTI