Farooq Abdullah: Will fight, go to court against government
Earlier while responding to NCP MP Supriya Sule in Lok Sabha, Mr Shah had said that he (Abdullah) is neither under detention nor under arrest.
New Delhi: National Conference party chief and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday contested Home Minister Amit Shah's assertion in Parliament that he was neither under detention nor arrest and was at his home out of his own will. Mr Abdullah also said that he would challenge in court the Centre’s decision to revoke Article 370, describing it as “body being carved”.
Speaking to media persons in Srinagar he said there was a big padlock on his door and he had to “force himself” to come out and speak to the media. “I heard the statement of the home minister of India that Farooq Abdullah is free and is staying in the house out of his own will. I thought how can he be lying when a DSP has been placed outside my house and no one can come in and no one can go out,” Mr Abdullah said. He said he “felt sorry that the home minister of India can lie like this”.
Earlier while responding to NCP MP Supriya Sule in Lok Sabha, Mr Shah had said that “he (Abdullah) is neither under detention nor under arrest. He is at his home on his own will.”
When Ms Sule wondered whether the National Conference leader was unwell, Mr Shah said it was for doctors to say. “I can’t carry out the treatment, it was up to doctors,” he said.
In his first remarks since the Union government on Monday revokedprovisions of Article 370, Mr Abdullah said a “dictatorial authority” had been invoked and not a “democratic” one.
Talking to media persons, he said, “as soon as the gates open, our people will be out, we will fight, we'll go to the court. We're not gun-runners, grenade-throwers, stone-throwers, we believe in peaceful resolution of things.”
“They want to murder us, we are ready, my chest is ready, fire here, not into my back,” 81-year-old Abdullah said in an emotional outburst.
Getting teary-eyed while talking to reporters, Mr Abdullah said after “dividing the regions, are they going to divide people’s hearts also. Are they going to put Muslims one side, Hindus one side, Buddhists one side? Is that what they want?”