Political engagement should resume in J-K: Ram Madhav

November 20, 2019 00:16

Highlighting that over 100 days have passed since the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ram Madhav on Tuesday said he is in favour of the resumption of political engagement in the Union Territory "sooner than later".

Saying that "the sky is the limit" when it comes to demands from various quarters on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir, he emphasised that the demands should be within the ambit of the Constitution.

"I am personally in favour of, at least now that almost 100 days have passed since the decision was taken, some kind of a political engagement to start in the Valley," he said at an event in New Delhi.

"I am talking about it (beginning political engagement in the Valley) in my party also. Hopefully, we will be able to do something about it," said Madhav, the BJP's national general secretary, adding that normal political activities have been going on in Jammu.

To a question about what prevents the government from releasing political leaders in Kashmir from preventive custody, he said whether the government states its position or not, "there is no doubt" that the day these leaders are out they will certainly lead protests.

"We will also have to ensure that those protests need to be democratic and peaceful. That is expected. Nobody says there should not be any protest. It is a democracy, protests will be there," he said.

Refusing to speculate about what could be the plans of the security establishment in Delhi or in Srinagar in this regard, he said: "engagement at political levels needs to be resumed sooner than later".

Mainstream leaders in the Valley, including three former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, were taken into preventive custody in the wake of the Centre's August 5 decision to revoke the special status of the state, now a union territory, under Article 370 of the Constitution.

While Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti remain under house arrest, Farooq Abdullah has been detained under the controversial Public Safety Act since September 17.

Madhav said the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has undergone major transformation since the abrogation of Article 370.

"So new kind of political activities will resume whenever the first opportunity comes. I am very keen that opportunity should come as soon as possible," he said, addressing a discussion on 'Kashmir After 370' organised by think tank Observer Research Foundation.

He clarified that no new political class was being created from Delhi.

"Let me clarify on the question of new political class being nurtured or cultivated from Delhi. No such thing is happening from our side. We have huge respect for all the leaders of different political parties in the Valley. I said it earlier, that (at) earliest possible opportunity, they will resume their political activity," Madhav said. -- PTI

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