Jammu and Kashmir administration ends house arrest of political leaders

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Nearly all leaders of the Congress, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) and National Conference (NC) in Jammu have been freed from their detention. The decision by the Jammu and Kashmir administration came after almost two months of detention of these leaders, following the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. 

However, prominent leaders including NCP's Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah, PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference's Sajjad Gani Lone, among others continue to remain under house arrest.

Meanwhile, NC leaders Devender Rana and SS Salathia, Congress's Raman Bhalla and JKNPP leader Harshdev Singh are some of the prominent leaders who are no longer under house arrest.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration and many prominent leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party have defended the move to put such leaders under preventive detention and said the action was taken to prevent any untoward incident after the scrapping of Article 370.

Just a few days ago, Union minister Jitendra Singh said that no politician in Jammu and Kashmir will be detained beyond 18 months and asserted that they are not under arrest, but are living as "house guests".

"Political leaders have been kept in VIP bungalows. We have even given them CDs of Hollywood movies. Gym facility has also been provided to them. They are not under house arrest. They are house guests," said Jitendra Singh.

Reiterating Singh's statement, BJP leader Ram Madhav had said 200-250 leaders, who have been detained in Kashmir, are receiving five-star treatment.

Madhav said that initially 2,000 to 2,500 people were put under preventive detention in Kashmir and added that the number has now reduced to just 200-250.

"Today in Jammu and Kashmir only 200-250 people are under preventive detention in view of the law and order. They have been kept under preventive detention respectfully, some in five-star guest houses, some in five-star hotels," said the BJP national general secretary.

"I would also like to say that 200-250 people have been put under preventive detention and there has been peace in Kashmir for two months. You can understand what the people of Kashmir want and what these 200-250 people want," said Madhav.

However, protests broke out in the Valley when Omar Abdullah's father Farooq Abdullah, also a former chief minister, was recently placed under house arrest under Public Safety Act.

It has come to light that over 250 writ petitions have been filed against the preventive detention orders against prominent political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. Petitions have also been filed in the Supreme Court against the detentions as well.

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