Farooq Abdullah Criticizes Arrest of Clean-Legislative Sanjay Singh, Cautions Government on Future Repercussions
Srinagar, October 5: National Conference president and Member of Parliament, Farooq Abdullah, extended his support to the arrested Aam Aadmi Party leader, Sanjay Singh, and called on the government to refrain from resorting to actions that could potentially backfire in the future. This comes after Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh was apprehended by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
Farooq Abdullah expressed his concern, saying, “Sanjay Singh has been very vocal in the Parliament against many acts of the Government which he opposed. I think it is wrong to arrest a legislator who is absolutely clean and has been put behind bars because, according to what I heard, that he did not answer certain questions. You don’t arrest a person for not answering a question. If you have something against him, take him to the court,” addressing reporters in Srinagar.
Highlighting the ongoing arrests, Abdullah questioned the government’s approach, citing the incarceration of the education minister, Manish Sisodia, and emphasized that India is a democratic country where everyone has rights. He urged the authorities not to employ actions that may come back to haunt them, reminding them that political power is not eternal, saying, “For God’s sake, don’t use such actions which tomorrow will inflict on you. You are not going to be in power every day. One day this is going to hit you. Think of that day.”
Responding to comments made by Ravinder Raina regarding the opposition’s concerns for the constitution and democratic institutions, Abdullah defended his party’s stance. He acknowledged that the National Conference did not participate in the Panchayat elections, expressing regret over that decision. However, he pointed out that the party did participate in the District Development Council (DDC) elections, and other parties also took part.
Abdullah emphasized that their demands revolve around the restoration of constitutional rights, which they believe have been curtailed since Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory. He reaffirmed the opposition’s commitment to standing up for democratic principles, as they had announced a protest on October 10, alleging that the democratic rights of the people were under attack.
