Leaders under house arrest in J-K will be released soon: Madhav

Hyderabad, October 5

Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav has said that leaders who have been placed under house arrest in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 by the Centre will be released soon and they can resume their “normal” political activity.

Speaking at ‘Jana Jagaran Sabha’ on the Centre’s decision to revoke the special status of J&K granted under Article 370 on Friday, the BJP general secretary said once Governor’s rule is lifted and legislature takes over, constitutional entities such as Commissions for SC, Women and Minorities would be set up in the region.

Describing Article 370 as cancer for the past 70 years, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed it in just 70 hours.

He said the region which used to reel under law and order problems for months together is now “becoming peaceful” after over 200 leaders of the state were under house arrest.

“There is this propaganda that you have arrested thousands of people (in J&K). Let me tell you today that those 200-plus leaders are in preventive detention. Preventive detention is a normal law and order arrangement. It doesn’t amount to human rights violation. Preventive detention in five star hotels with good facilities with TVs and books and all those things is a temporary measure to ensure law and order in the state,” Madhav said.

The state was largely quiet barring a few incidents with 200 people in jail, he claimed.

“Now you can imagine how effective this preventive detention is. Please, don’t be mistaken that these people will be in jail forever. No. Very soon they will have their freedom. We want normal political activity to be restored in the state. But it has to be normal political activity,” he added.

He claimed that the Ladakh people were happy now and rejoicing as the region was made a union territory and the Jammu region was also happy as “they are able to fully integrate with the country. There are issues with the Kashmir Valley and they will be dealt with sensitivity,” he said. PTI