National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday refuted Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s claims in the Parliament that he was “neither detained nor arrested”. Abdullah said that he had been detained in his house and expressed sadness “that Home Minister can lie like this”, NDTV reported.
“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,” he was quoted as saying. “I told them [the security] that the home minister says I’m not detained. Who are you to detain me?”
Shah on Tuesday made the comments in the Parliament after Lok Sabha members brought up Abdullah’s absence in the House. “He is willingly sitting back at home,” the home minister said.
The National Conference leader also expressed concern for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir as they might not have basic supplies at home. “What is the use of the government saying we have rations for three months, we have sugar for three months, atta for three months, when a man cannot get to it, not have money to buy it. Is that worth it?”
He further said that he had never seen India like this, which belonged to people from all communities, including Hindu, Muslim and Sikh. He also made an emotional appeal to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the leaders had been with them through everything and hoped that they would do the same.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were on Monday formally arrested after being placed under house arrest late on Sunday night.
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