New Delhi : After a gap of more than one year National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Monday attended the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Abdullah, the National Conference (NC) president, an incumbent member of Parliament and former Chief Minister, could not attend any of the sessions of the Parliament, since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 05 last year, when he was taken under the pre-emptive custody along with several other political leaders, including son Omar Abdullah and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufi, both former Chief Ministers of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir.
While most of the detainees were released in phased manner, but many of them still continue to be detained, despite a passage of more than one year, since the clampdown was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir, after the scrapping of special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) were released on 12th and 14th March 2020 respectively; however Mehbooba Mufti still continues to remain under detention.
It was for the first time after a gap of thirteen months that Farooq Abdullah attended a Parliament session for the first time. His presence in the house was strongly demanded by the opposition, when the bill related to abrogation of Article 370 and 35, was taken up for the discussion in the parliament on August 5th Last year.
While his movement outside his residence was restricted, Home Minister Amit Shah had denied the fact about his detention on the floor of the house, when opposition demanded Abdullah’s presence.
Restrictions and he had had received a sharp criticism from the opposition benches, over misleading the house.
On arriving at the Parliament hall, Farooq Abdullah was received by several national leaders, including Congress’ Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari, NCP’s Supriya Sule, DMK’s A. Raja and Muthuvel Karunanidhi Kanimozhi and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha chamber where he was sitting at his designated seat, reported news gathering agency KDC.
Elected to Lok Sabha, from Srinagar in previous Parliamentary elections, Farooq Abdullah, his presence in the house is expected to boost opposition’s support when it will hit out at the Centre on various issues during the Monsoon Session which started on Monday and will be held till October 1 amid the coronavirus pandemic. (KDC)
