Madhav says J&K leaders under house arrest will be released soon; terms Article 370 as cancer

PTI, Oct 5, 2019, 12:19 PM IST

Hyderabad: Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav has said leaders who have been placed under house arrest in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 by the Centre, will be released soon and they can resume their “normal” political activity.

Speaking at ‘Jana Jagaran Sabha’ on the Centre’s decision to revoke special status of J&K granted under Article 370 on Friday, the BJP general secretary said once Governor’s rule is lifted and legislature takes over, constitutional entities such as Commissions for SC, Women and Minorities will be set up in the region.

Describing Article 370 as cancer for the past 70 years he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed it in just 70 hours.

He said the region which used to reel under law and order problems for months together is now “becoming peaceful” after over 200 leaders of the State were under house arrest.

“There is this propaganda that you have arrested thousands of people (in J&K). Let me tell you today that those 200 plus leaders are in preventive detention. Preventive detention is a normal law and order arrangement. It doesn’t amount to human rights violation.

Preventive detention in five star hotels with good facilities with TVs and books and all those things, is a temporary measure to ensure law and order in the state,” Madhav said.

The state was largely quiet barring a few incidents with 200 people in jail, he claimed.

“Now you can imagine how effective this preventive detention is. Please don’t mistake me that these people will be jail forever.

No. Very soon they will have their freedom. We want normal political activity to be restored in the state. But it has to be normal political activity,” he added.

He claimed that Ladakh people were happy now and rejoicing as the region was made an union territory and Jammu region was also happy as “they are able to fully integrate with the country. There are issues with Kashmir Valley and they will be dealt with at most sensitivity,” he said.

According to him, no international community will come and inspect Kashmir based on the false propaganda that there is large-scale human rights violation in the valley.

Madhav said no private investment had come to J&K during the past few decades because of Article 370 which prohibits private persons or entities from owning land.

Calling Pakistan an “epicentre” of terror, the BJP leader claimed that the US will be more friendlier with India than Pakistan keeping in view the huge trade between it and India.