Nearly 400 political leaders were detained a day before the Narendra Modi government scrapped Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Agencies
Jammu, October 3:
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday said that mainstream political leaders who are being kept on detention will be released in a phased manner. Nearly 400 political leaders were detained a day before the Narendra Modi government scrapped Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir. On August 5, the government revoked the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
When asked if the Kashmiri leaders will be released from detention, Farooq Khan, advisor to J&K governor Satya Pal Malik said, “Yes, one by one after analysis of every individual, they will be released,” reported news agency ANI. Among the detained leaders are former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.
Earlier this week, the Election authority announced dates for the Block Development Council (BDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir. These elections will be the first to take place in the state since the abrogation of Article 370 and would be a test to the security situation. The BDC polls would be conducted on October 24 from 9am to 1pm. The results would be announced on the same day.
Soon after the date for the BDC elections was announced, the political leaders from the Jammu region were released from house arrest.
Chief Electoral Officer Jammu and Kashmir Shailendra Kumar said that the home ministry was evaluating the current security situation in the state and that the elections would be held smoothly.
The Block Development Council elections will be held in 310 out of 316 blocks in Jammu and Kashmir. Elections will be held on party basis and 26,629 panchs and sarpanchs are eligible to vote and contest for the post of BDC chairpersons. Over 18,000 panchs and sarpanchs are eligible to take part in the elections in Jammu division but Kashmir division has only 7528 elected panchs and sarpanchs, news agency PTI reported.
