Published 10:50 IST, March 25th 2020
Omar Abdullah makes first strong pitch for Mehbooba Mufti's release; Here's what he said
Soon after his release from detention, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has said that PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti should also be released.
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As the nation entered the Day 1 of the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a measure to tackle the outbreak of coronavirus, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said that PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti should also be released. He added that it is "calous and cruel" for the government to detain her and others. He added that the their detention was never "justified" but now even more as a 3 week lockdown has been imposed.
It’s callous & cruel to continue to detain @MehboobaMufti & others at a time like this.There was never much justification to detain everyone in the 1st place & none at all to keep them detained as the country enters a 3 week lockdown.I hope @PMOIndia & @HMOIndia will release them
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 25, 2020
Omar Abdullah released
Omar was relesed on March 24, from his detention after he was detained last year following the abrogation of Article 370. He was also slapped with Public Safety Act on February 6. After his release, amid coronavirus outbreak, he said, "On a lighter note if anyone wants tips on surviving quarantine or a lock down I have months of experience at my disposal, perhaps a blog is in order." He also added that he will do everything in his individual capacity to help the authorities overcome the challenge of coronavirus.
Farooq Abdullah released
On March 13, Rohit Kansal, the principal secretary of Planning, Development and Monitoring Department of Jammu Kashmir, government also released NC chief Farooq Abdullah. 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.
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.
10:50 IST, March 25th 2020