Hurriyat Hardliner Masarat Alam’s release: PM Modi makes his anger known

Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervened in a discussion on the release of Hurriyat leader Masarat Alam to inform Lok Sabha on Monday that he shared the “outrage” of its members, and that the government would take every step necessary to secure the unity and integrity of the country.

Modi, who said that the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government in Jammu & Kashmir had not consulted the Centre before releasing the separatist leader, spoke after Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the House that Alam faced 27 criminal cases, and that the central government was not “fully satisfied” with the J&K report on him.

“The central government”, Modi said, “has sought clarifications on certain matters (from the Sayeed government)”. He promised to apprise the House of the state’s response once it was received. “In one voice, we express our anger against those supporting separatists and misusing the law… In the coming days, we will take whatever action is required, and we are committed to the protection of the nation’s unity and integrity,” the PM said.

Earlier, Rajnath informed the members that according to a state home department report, Alam faced 27 criminal cases, including attempt to murder and sedition. He had been held eight times, and was detained under the Public Safety Act in February 2010.

“We are not fully satisfied with the state home department report,” he said. “We have taken the entire issue very seriously… The Centre will issue the strongest advisory, if needed, to the state after the clarifications are received.”
The statements by Modi and Rajnath, however, failed to pacify the opposition. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party floor leader Mallikarjun Kharge led the walkout, which was joined by, besides the Congress, members of the Trinamool Congress, Left, NCP, Samajwadi Party and Aam Adami Party.
P Venugopal, leader of the AIADMK group, which is generally well disposed towards the ruling BJP, threw in his lot with the opposition, asking the BJP to dump the PDP in J&K.

“The BJP should come out of the alliance and conduct fresh elections,” Venugopal said. Earlier, Kharge, Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) and N K Premachandran (RSP) too asked the BJP to break off ties with the PDP if it was indeed opposed to key decisions of the Sayeed government.

In Rajya Sabha, which too witnessed noisy scenes over the release of Alam, Rajnath conceded that the BJP had “ideological differences” with the PDP, but insisted there was no “hidden agenda” behind the alliance. He said no compromise with national security would be tolerated.

The opposition accused the BJP of disowning responsibility for decisions taken by a government of which it was part. Sharad Yadav of the JD(U) demanded to know if the BJP’s understanding with the PDP was in the national interest, and P Rajeeve of the CPI(M) said the BJP’s “political opportunism” had led it to “compromise with national security”. D Raja of the CPI said BJP could not “wash its hands of” the state government’s decision.
K C Tyagi of the JD(U) asked the BJP to reveal its “hidden agenda”. “Mufti (Mohammad Sayeed) is very clear on what he wants to do… He is for greater Kashmir… he has thanked Pakistan for successful elections (in J&K)… he is very clear. The BJP must also come clean,” Tyagi said.

While the debate was wrapped up after Rajnath spoke, opposition members continued to complain for some time that the PM had ignored Rajya Sabha while choosing to speak in Lok Sabha. Members of the Congress and other opposition parties entered the well, saying Rajya Sabha had been “insulted”.

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Source:Indianexpress

Narendra Modi