Shah Faesal regrets 'discussing' Art 370 on BBC: 'Must be careful with global audience'

Expressing regret on his reaction to revocation of Article 370, ex-IAS officer Shah Faesal on Wednesday, said that one must be careful 'when talking about India's internal matters to a global audience'. While commenting on Sachin Tendulkar's tweet condemning 'external interference' into India's farm Laws, Faesal was asked by a journalist if he regretted slamming the Centre's revocation of Article 370 on the BBC. Faesal who became first Kashmiri to top the Indian Civil Services Examination, had quit civil services and launched a political party -  Jammu Kashmir People’s Movement (JKPM) in January 2019.

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Faesal expresses regret on Art 370 interview

In the BBC interview, Faesal was asked by the BBC anchor whether he would be a 'stooge' or a 'separatist' post-revocation of Article 370. To which the ex-IAS officer said, "I think it’s too early for all of us, I am not going to be a stooge. I think one clarity which this step has brought unto all of us, is that those people who believed that India would not betray this generation of Kashmiris." Reminiscing how his grandfather and father's generation had been betrayed by the Centre, he added, "This new phase of indignation that has begun on 5th August 2019 and it’s my generation which has now got the taste of betrayal and I don’t know how this is going to play out in next 50 to 70 years." Since then, Faesal - who was detained for a year in house arrest - has changed his stance on the Centre, often praising its schemes - vaccination program, Prime Minister Modi's 'Mann ki baat'.

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Faesal's detention and release

Faesal was detained at Delhi airport in August 2019 and was initially taken to a makeshift detention center at the Centaur Hotel in Srinagar, but was later shifted to his home and was placed house arrest. On August 12, the J&K administration had issued a Look-Out circular against Faesal, which was challenged by Faesal in the Delhi High Court as 'malafide exercise by the Centre'. The administration then slapped the PSA on him after former J&K Chief Ministers Omar and Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti. Later in June 2020,  Faesal along with PDP leaders Sartaj Madni and Peer Mansoor were released from detention.

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After his release, Faesal resigned from the post of chief of Jammu & Kashmir People's Movement (JKPM) which led to rumours that he was set to rejoin government service. He had resigned rom the civil services on January 9, 2019 citing the 'unabated killings in Kashmir and lack of any sincere reach-out from the Union government'. His resignation is yet to be processed by the Centre.

J&K adminstration books Shah Faesal under PSA after ex-CMs Mufti, Omar & Farooq Abdullah