Kejriwal criticises Centre over denial of Farooq Abdullah’s meeting with Sanjay Singh
Srinagar, Sep 11: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has raised concerns after former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah was reportedly denied permission to meet AAP MP Sanjay Singh in Srinagar.
Singh, who had travelled to the union territory to protest the arrest of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act (PSA), was placed under what he described as house arrest by local police authorities. Visuals shared on social media by the AAP leader showed Abdullah arriving at a government guest house to meet Singh, but being stopped from entering the premises.
Kejriwal, sharing the incident on social media platform X, questioned the decision to prevent Abdullah’s entry, stating: "The former Chief Minister, who is the father of the current Chief Minister, is not being allowed to meet Sanjay Singh in his own state?" He referred to the act as one that requires scrutiny in a democratic framework.
Sanjay Singh also issued a statement on social media, saying that Abdullah had come to express solidarity but was not permitted to meet him. Singh questioned the basis of his detention and reiterated that he was in Srinagar to peacefully protest the arrest of Mehraj Malik, the lone AAP legislator in Jammu and Kashmir.
Farooq Abdullah, in a brief statement to the media, confirmed that he was not allowed to meet Singh and said such actions were unnecessary. He also expressed his disapproval of the restrictions placed on Singh and the use of the PSA against Malik.
There has been no official statement yet from the Jammu and Kashmir administration regarding the incident or the reasons for the restrictions. The developments come amid increased political attention to the use of preventive detention laws in the region.
AAP has demanded the immediate release of Mehraj Malik and called for a review of the circumstances under which Singh was restrained in Srinagar. The party has stated it will continue to raise the issue through legal and political channels.
