The Opposition parties in unison questioned the Narendra Modi government on the detention of Lok Sabha member and former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, but once again got no definite response from the government.
Speaking to the mediapersons after the all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of the winter session of Parliament, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “How can a parliamentarian be detained illegally? He should be allowed to attend Parliament.”
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others heard the Opposition’s demand, they did not respond, Mr. Azad said. “We anyway do not get any replies from the government on any issues,” he added.
The question was raised by other lawmakers, including T.R. Baalu of the DMK and Sudip Bandhopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress.
As the party’s senior most leader, Mr. Abdullah should have been present. “I told the government that it is their constitutional obligation to ensure that Dr. Abdullah attends Parliament. The Srinagar electorate should not go unrepresented,” Mr. Masoodi told The Hindu.
The government has detained Dr. Abdullah under the Public Safety Act (PSA). Mr. Masoodi said that since the MP was detained under the PSA, the government did not need court orders to revoke the detention.
Speaking to reporters at the end of the meeting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi remained non-committal on Lok Sabha member’s release. “We have got a suggestion in this regard. We will see what can be done within framework of the law,” Mr Joshi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his customary remarks at the meeting reiterated that the government was ready to discuss every issue and exhorted everyone to make the winter session as productive as the last one. “Inside the meeting the government and the PM say that the government is ready to debate whatever issues the Opposition wants to raise. We get this assurance in every meeting ahead of every session. But in the House, whether the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, when we raise the issues, whether it’s state of our economy or rising unemployment or agrarian crisis or inflation or Kashmir, the government stalls the debate,” Mr. Azad said. Mr Azad had raised the issue during a meeting chaired by Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu too.
The Trinamool Congress, represented by Mr. Bandhopadhyay and Rajya Sabha member Derek O’ Brien also raised the issue of interference in administration by West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar.
