Local authorities will decide on Jammu and Kashmir detentions: Amit Shah

Earlier, Chowdhury sought to know when political leaders, including ex-chief minister Farooq Abdullah, would be released.
Union Home minister Amit Shah at parliament house in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Photo  | Shekhar Yadav, EPS)
Union Home minister Amit Shah at parliament house in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Photo | Shekhar Yadav, EPS)

NEW DELHI: Asserting that the situation in the Kashmir Valley is normal and not a single bullet had been fired, Home Minister Amit Shah said that detained political leaders will be released by the local administration and there will be no central interference.

As the Lok Sabha assembled on Tuesday, Congress floor leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Shah battled over the detention of political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. Following Chowdhury’s question regarding the release of Kashmiri leaders and the return of normalcy, Shah says, “What according to you is normal? Political activity in the country is normal, children giving exams is normal. What according to the Congress is normal?”

“99.5 per cent students sat for exams in Kashmir, but for Adhir Ranjan ji this is not normalcy, 7 lakh people availed OPD services in Srinagar, curfew and Section 144 was removed from everywhere. But for Adhir ji, the only parameter for normalcy is political activity. What about local body polls which were held?”

Earlier, Chowdhury sought to know when political leaders, including ex-chief minister Farooq Abdullah, would be released. “There is no need to keep anyone (leaders) in jail even for a day more than that is required. As and when the local administration feels the time is appropriate, they will be released,” Shah responded. “As far as the release of political leaders from jail is concerned, I want to say that we don’t want to keep anyone in jail for a single day. Whenever the administration in Jammu and Kashmir decides, they will be released.”

Shah added that Farooq Abdullah’s father Sheikh Abdullah was put in jail by the Congress for 11 years when Indira Gandhi was the PM.

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