“The political process has to start. Only with political process, elections are held and the government is chosen by the people,” said the Congress leader.
Azad said India was not famous for its size but democracy. But it was no democracy when three former chief ministers were under detention for over seven months, and the fourth had to seek the Supreme Court’s permission for a visit.
On the revocation of Article 370, the Congress leader said, “Let’s first restore democracy, which can be done only after all leaders behind bars are released.”
Azad said the statehood to Kashmir should be restored.
“In 1947, 560 princely states were clubbed to form 12 states, but J&K was the only state that didn’t need other states to merge with it.” It was a state even in the Mughal era and Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s reign, he said.
“Making such a big state onto a union territory is an insult to the people. I wish the leaders are released quickly and J&K is made a state again,” he said.
He said he was happy that Abdullah was released after over seven months. “We don’t know why he was detained. Generally, those people are kept under detention who have violated the law or have done something against the country and the government. But these leaders were detained even before the abrogation of article 370.”
Earlier, Abdullah met with his son Omar Abdullah at Hari Nivas. This is the first time that the father and son met after the revocation of Artcile 370 on August 5. Abdullah was accompanied by his daughter Safiya and her two sons.
“He came to see Omar at Hari Niwas today. It was the scheduled meeting day for the family,” said Safiya.
She said the family is relieved with the release of Abdullah and is now looking forward to the release of Omar.
She said they were limiting the number of visitors for her father due to coronavirus threat and his surgery for cataract.
Soon after being released, scores of National Conference workers came to meet Abdullah from different parts of Kashmir.
* The newly formed J&K Apni Party (JKAP), which is projecting itself as a third front against the two main political parties of Kashmir, has sought domicile rights and statehood from the central government.
In its first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital yesterday, a delegation of the party headed by Altaf Bukhari told him that people in J&K have several apprehensions regarding their land, jobs and businesses following the nullification of Article 370.
