In locked down Kashmir valley, an agitated president of the National Conference and sitting Member of Parliament from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday countered Home Minister Amit Shah’s announcement in the Lok Sabha that he was neither detained nor arrested.
Flanked by his security personnel at his Gupkar residence, Dr Abdullah told reporters of TV news channels, “Home Minister is lying in Parliament that I am sitting in my house of my own will. I broke the door to come out and speak to the media. They have put me under house arrest and not allowing any one to come inside or move out.”
Earlier, Shah said, “Farooq Abdullah has neither been detained nor arrested. He’s at his home, out of his own free will.”
The verbal brawl started in the LS after NCP leader Supriya Sule raised the issue of Abdullah’s absence from the House during the debate on a motion to abrogate Article 370.
“I sit on seat 462, Farooq Abdullah sits on seat 461. He’s elected from J&K, we can’t hear him today. This debate will be incomplete if you ask me,” Sule said.
In Srinagar, Dr Abdullah told reporters in real time, “Why would I stay inside my house on my own will when my state is being burnt, when my people are being executed in jails? This is not the India I believe in,visibly annoyed Dr Abdullah shouted.
“My India is a democratic secular India for all, whatever your religion, whatever your region, he added.
When asked whether it is undemocratic on the part of the government agencies to have put him under house arrest, Dr Abdullah responded by saying, “It is totally undemocratic”.
In response to another question over scrapping of Article 370 in five minutes, Dr Abdullah said, “after more than 70 years they have stabbed people of the state”.
He said soon after they will throw open the gates and their own people will come out, we will fight in the court of law. Dr Abdullah also said,” we are not grenade throwers, we are not stone throwers. We believe in peaceful resolution of things”.
“They want to murder us. My Chest is here. Fire here, (he pointed towards his chest), not in to my back for i stood for India. When asked about the whereabouts of his son, Dr Abdullah told reporters, “my son is in jail and i don’t know how many more people will be in jail”.