Vaiko moves SC against detention of Farooq Abdullah

MDMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko has approached the Supreme Court with a habeas corpus petition against “illegal detention” of former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah, saying that Abdullah was to participate in a conference in Chennai on September 15.

Abdullah and other leaders in the state, have not been allowed to move freely since August 5 when the Union government removed the special status of Jammu and Kashmir by abrogating Article 370 and passed a law dividing the state into two Union Territories.

In a writ petition, Vaiko said that he was a close friend of Abdullah for the last 40 years.

He has been in close touch with him throughout. But he along with other political leaders has been placed under wrongful detention since August 5. Since then all efforts to establish contact with him have been of no avail, he said.

“The rights conferred under Article 19, 21 and 22 of the Constitution on Abdullah and other leaders and the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been taken away on account of illegal detention,” he contended.

Vaiko said that he had invited Abdullah to a conference being organised at Chennai on the occasion of the birth anniversary of former chief minister of Tamil Nadu C N Anna Durai, also known as Arignar Anna.

He said that the Centre has imposed “undeclared emergency” in Jammu and Kashmir and placed it in lock down for the past one month and has further dealt a body blow by arresting elected representatives who were instrumental in strengthening democracy there.

He sought a direction to set Abdullah free and grant him liberty to attend the conference.