Farooq Abdullah's Detention Clear Signal of Centre's 'Contempt' for Kashmiri Representation, Says NC

Srinagar: The continuous detention of Member of Parliament Farooq Abdullah was a clear signal of the Centre's contempt for Kashmiri representation, the National Conference (NC) said here on Friday, asserting that the absence of the top party leadership from the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir was neither in favour of the country nor the Union Territory.

"The prolonged detention of party president Farooq Abdullah, vice-president Omar Abdullah, (general secretary) Ali Mohammad Sagar and others and their constant absence from the political landscape of J-K is not in favour of the country in general and J-K in particular," senior NC leader and Member of Parliament from north Kashmir Mohammad Akbar Lone said in a statement here.

Lone said the Centre has created a "dangerous vacuum" reversing all the gains of the past two decades by denigrating mainstream politics in Kashmir.

"It was our party which had to shoulder the coffins of its scores of leaders and thousands of workers to reinstate the faith of people in democracy and rule of law. The diplomatic edge of the country at international forums has also incurred heavy dents," he said.

The NC leader, while decrying the "callous process of demonisation and vilification" of the tallest representative voices of J-K, said, "They were the ones who stood the turbulent times braving odds in a place which has been fraught with conflict and terrible consequence of it.

"The continued incarceration of tall representative voices, former chief ministers, sitting Members of Parliament is not a good omen. The measures of the central government have delegitimised everything the mainstream politics in Kashmir stood for. By detaining Farooq Abdullah, a sitting MP, the Central government has sent clear signals of its contempt for Kashmiri representation."

Lone said it was "disrespectful" to have a sitting MP, whom former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee had referred to as "third party to Kashmir", in confinement.

"One is at its wits end to ascertain what good will serve it to push genuine peoples' representatives to (the) wall, crowding them out. Furthermore, any political process in J-K minus NC is not credible," Lone said.