'Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti will have a role to play in J&K politics': BJP's Ram Madhav

vocating resumption of political engment in Jammu and Kashmir "sooner than later", senior BJP leer Ram Mhav on Tuesday said "political class" was being nurtured from Delhi and politicians have to win confidence of people of newly created Union territory. Speaking at a function, Mhav, however, said BJP was always in favour of emergence of a new leer who is coming from grassroots level of Kashmir Valley.

He also me it clear that "maybe Omar Abdullah, may be Mehbooba Mufti, once y have opportunity to come back and restore ir political activity, I am sure y will definitely have a role to play in state politics."  Both Abdullah and Mufti are under detention since August 5 when Centre anunced abrogation of Article 370 and split of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state into two separate Union territories -- Lakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP leer, who is in charge of Union territory and also played an important role in forging an alliance with PDP in 2015, said "sky is limit" when it comes to demands from various quarters on issue of Jammu and Kashmir but emphasised that demands should be within ambit of Constitution.

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On questions of creation of a new political class, Mhav said "Let me clarify on question of new political class being nurtured or cultivated from Delhi. such thing is happening from our side. We have huge respect for all leers of different political parties in Valley. I said it earlier, that (at) earliest possible opportunity, y will resume ir political activity."

Elaborating furr, he said body can create political leers as y have to win confidence of people. Observing that emergence of a newer leership is a continuous process, Mhav said BJP is in favour of new leers coming up from grassroots level. He said decision on opening up of "political " in Jammu and Kashmir will be taken by Union territory's ministration and central government.

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Mhav said he was "personally in favour of, at least w that almost 100 days have passed since decision was taken, some kind of political engment to start in Valley." "I am talking about it (beginning political engment in Valley) in my party also. Hopefully, we will be able to do something about it," said Mhav, BJP's national general secretary, ding that rmal political activities have been going on in Jammu.

To a question about what prevents government from releasing political leers in Kashmir from preventive custody, he said wher government states its position or t, "re is doubt" that day se leers are out, y will le protests. "We will also have to ensure that those protests need to be democratic and peaceful. That is expected. body says re should t be any protest. It is a democracy, protests will be re," Ram Mhav said.

Refusing to speculate about what could be plans of security establishment in Delhi or in Srinagar in this regard, Ram Mhav said, "engment at political levels needs to be resumed sooner than later".

Mainstream leers in Valley, including three former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, were taken into preventive custody in wake of Centre's August 5 decision to revoke special status of state. While Omar Abdullah and Mufti remain detained away from ir homes, three-time chief minister Farooq Abdullah has been detained at his house under controversial Public Safety Act since September 17.

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Mhav said erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has undergone major transformation since abrogation of Article 370. "So new kind of political activities will resume whenever first opportunity comes. I am very keen that opportunity should come as soon as possible," he said, dressing a discussion on 'Kashmir After 370' organised by think tank Observer Research Foundation.

"So that kind of political should be me available to people of Jammu and Kashmir, that's my firm conviction. How early it can happen is for ministration in Jammu and Kashmir and government in Delhi to decide toger," Mhav suggested.

Opposition on detained leers

Participating in dialogue, senior Congress leer Shashi Tharoor questioned preventive detention of political leers in Kashmir. "It certainly raises a question: What is yardstick you are waiting for? Because remember re were objective disturbances that prompted arrest in first place," he said.

Congress leer said number of protests leers could engineer whenever y are released, wher it is three months from w or if y were released three months ago, will be same. "So ultimately logic has never been understood by many of us as to why to detain m in first place," he said, ding: "I am at a loss to figure out on what objective basis can we say w conditions have arrived for release because conditions are in entirely your (government) own control".

"What happened in August and reafter has done us a great deal of dam internationally... It would require tremendous efforts for us to regain our lost ground. ground we have lost is very severe," Tharoor said. Countering him, Mhav said only around 200 political leers are in detention. "Are we trying to say that in entire Kashmir re are those 200 leers. ? re are many more outside. re needs to be political activism," BJP leer ded.

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detention of Srinagar MP Farooq Abdullah became a crucial talking point at all-party meeting, called by government on Sunday. Opposition firmly raised confinement of Lok Sabha MP and NC patron, Farooq Abdullah, in his Srinagar residence. NC furr demanded his participation in approaching winter session of Parliament, in presence of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. 

During all-party meet, NC MP Hasnain Masoodi contending Farooq Abdullah's detention since August 05 said that government is under obligation of Constitution to ensure participation of Srinagar MP. NC leer said, "How can a parliamentarian be detained illegally? He should be allowed to attend Parliament."

(With PTI inputs)