‘BJP emerging stronger in Ladakh, J&K UT, wonder why not a single person protested to seek release of Netas’
Owais Gul
Srinagar, Dec 12 : Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) national vice-president and J&K affairs in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna Thursday said that J&K administration will take a call on whether to release the detained politicians when the election time would come closer.
“First of all, for me those serving detention were never Netas (leaders). A Neta is peoples’ leader, who represents peoples’ aspirations and remains on the forefront to seek redressal of peoples’ issues,” Khanna told wire service over phone from New Delhi.
He said that he wonders why not a single person protested to seek the release of detained politicians. “Had they been really peoples’ representatives, there would have been large scale protests and rallies for their release,” Khanna said.
He said that the J&K administration will take a call on the release of political leaders at an appropriate time. “Let elections come, the J&K administration will review the detention of these leaders and if they deem fit, they will be released,” he said.
The BJP top leader said that if a Sarpanch is arrested in a village, people from entire village hit streets and seek release of the Sarpanch. “Here, in the case of political leaders, there is no protest at all. I believe, people are happy with their detention as governance is reaching out to the door steps of people who were befooled on one or the other slogan from time to time by these politicians,” Khanna said.
At least 50-odd politicians including three former chief ministers—Dr Farooq Abdullah, his son Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Muti are serving detention since August 5. Senior Abdullah was slapped with Public Safety Act (PSA), a law enacted by his father Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. He remains lodged at his Gupkar residence that has been declared as a subsidiary jail.
Khanna said that BJP is witnessing overhaul and that the party will emerge as a strong and vibrant force in Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu. “We are done with membership drive and now we are busy in booth and zone level polls after which party restructuring will take place,” he said. (KNO)
