Srinagar: Sanjay Singh alleges ‘house arrest’ as cops foil protest plan
Singh climbed the gate, which was closed by police, to greet National Conference president Farooq Abdullah who had come to meet him
The authorities in J&K didn’t allow MP and senior leader of Aam Aadami Party Sanjay Singh to take part in a protest and hold a press conference against the arrest of the AAP legislator Mehraj Malik under the stringent Public Safety Act.
Singh climbed the gate, which was closed by police, to greet National Conference president Farooq Abdullah who had come to meet him. The two senior leaders were not allowed to meet and Abdullah had to return from the gate.
Malik was booked under PSA and lodged in District central jail Kathua on Monday for allegedly being a threat to law and order.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who held a press conference in Jammu on Wednesday, had blamed BJP for jailing their legislator for demanding hospital in his constituency.
Singh, along with other senior leaders, was planning to hold a protest and press conference in Srinagar on Thursday. Police, however barred Singh and other leaders of AAP from going outside the government guest house by locking it from outside.
Speaking on the issue, Sanjay Singh said, “Dictatorship is at its peak. I am in Srinagar at this moment. Raising one’s voice for rights and protesting in a democracy is our constitutional right,” he wrote on X, while sharing a video where Singh was seen pleading with police officials why they aren’t being allowed to go out from the guest house.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking on the issue, Sanjay Singh said, “Dictatorship is at its peak. I am in Srinagar at this moment. Raising one’s voice for rights and protesting in a democracy is our constitutional right,” he wrote on X, while sharing a video where Singh was seen pleading with police officials why they aren’t being allowed to go out from the guest house.
{{/usCountry}}Later, J&K former chief minister Farooq Abdullah was also not allowed to meet Singh as police prevented him from going inside the guest house. However, Sanjay climbed the main gate to have a conversation with Abdullah.
{{/usCountry}}Later, J&K former chief minister Farooq Abdullah was also not allowed to meet Singh as police prevented him from going inside the guest house. However, Sanjay climbed the main gate to have a conversation with Abdullah.
{{/usCountry}}NC chief accused lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha for not allowing Sanjay Singh and other AAP leaders to hold a protest. “I had come to say hello to Sanjay Singh as he is my colleague in the Parliament but here despite being an elected and people’s government, LG is the real power holder. The country should know that even the constitution allows us to meet but it’s being denied to us,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}NC chief accused lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha for not allowing Sanjay Singh and other AAP leaders to hold a protest. “I had come to say hello to Sanjay Singh as he is my colleague in the Parliament but here despite being an elected and people’s government, LG is the real power holder. The country should know that even the constitution allows us to meet but it’s being denied to us,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Even Singh questioned cops for not allowing him to meet the former CM. “He ( Farooq Abdullah) is a former CM and Parliament member. I am also a Parliament member. Why are you stopping us? What’s wrong in this,” questioned Singh behind the gate while cameras recorded the whole conversation between two leaders.
Later, J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah also criticised the LG administration for locking Sanjay Singh inside the guest house. “The way we were locked on July 13 and 14, I was pushed and manhandled. It’s reality that Sanjay Singh was locked today and only the people who are behind this decision can tell why he was locked.”
Omar said that they used the “wrong law” to arrest Mehraj Malik...”There was no reason to arrest him. If there was something wrong with his behaviour, they could have raised the issue with the assembly secretariat or speaker. Public Safety Act is not justified.”
Meanwhile PDP reminded AAP of an old party statement of Arvind Kejriwal when he had supported the abrogation of Article 370. “Dr Abdullah should not have gone to see this man who endorsed BJP’s actions against J&K on August 5, 2019. Whatever else he says or does, the sins of AAP against J&K outweigh any pious noises,” senior PDP leader and former minister Naem Akthar wrote on X while sharing a picture of Abdullah outside the gate of government guest house as he wasn’t allowed to go inside to meet Sanjay Singh.
