Published 19:42 IST, March 14th 2020
Ex-J&K Guv Satya Pal Malik breaks silence on Farooq Abdullah's release; claims instigation
A day after NC chief and Lok Sabha MP Farooq Abdullah was released from detention, former governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik has reacted.Â
A day after NC chief and Lok Sabha MP Farooq Abdullah was released from detention, former governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik has reacted. He has said that Abdullah and Mufti had attempted to provoke ahead of the abrogation but they will not be successful.
He said: "It is a fact that Farooq Abdullah had said two days before abrogation of 370 that even if the PM takes 100 births, this article cannot be revoked and Mehbooba said that one who will interfere with 370 will set his hands ablaze. They tried to instigate a lot but no one came in their influence and neither won't they come."
Farooq Abdullah's first statement
On Friday after the government revoked the detention order of Abdullah, his first picture surfaced. He then came to his terrace at his Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar, and spoke to media, stating that he is free now. The former Chief Minister of J&K thanked the people of the state and the country for standing by his side and wished that the people of his state will be free soon. He also said that he cannot comment on political affairs till all the J&K leaders including his son Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is released.
"Whether it is print or television - I am heartily grateful to media. I am also grateful to all the people of the state and all the leaders and people in the rest of the country who spoke for our freedom. I am also grateful to every individual who prayed for us. Freedom is not complete. It will be complete when all leaders - Omar, Mehbooba ji or all the others who are in house arrest will be released. I hope the government of India will take action and release everyone if they want the people of the state to live as free people. I will answer no question. I can't speak on any political matters. It is only when everyone is released that I will be able to speak on political matters," he said.
He added: "Thank God this gate is open. We tried for many months for this gate to open. Today I don't have words to say how I feel today. I am free, I am free. I hope the people of the state will be free. Let's pray to God that we may see true freedom for which we have been trying for long. God bless you all, God bless people of the state."
Detention revoked
Rohit Kansal, the principal secretary of Planning, Development and Monitoring Department of Jammu Kashmir, posted a letter on Twitter on Friday, stating the government order. The order said that the government has decided to revoke the PSA imposed on senior Abdullah with immediate effect. Abdullah and other J&K leaders were placed under preventive detention on August 5 last year ahead of the abrogation of the special status of the erstwhile state. On the following September, the government slapped the NC patron with the Public Safety Act and extended it for three more months on December 16.
Updated 19:42 IST, March 14th 2020