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National Conference patron and former Chief Minister of Jammu And Kashmir, the 82- year-old Farooq Abdullah has written a letter addressed to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor . Abdullah who has been detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) has expressed his discontent over being kept under watch, while asserting that he was not a ‘criminal’.
Abdullah’s letter, written in a reply to a Tharoor’s post to him was shared by the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, on his social media account.
In his reply, Abdullah thanked Tharoor for writing a letter in October which he claimed was delivered late to him by a magistrate who looks after him in a ‘sub-jail’.
“It is most unfortunate that they are not able to deliver me my post in time. I am sure this is not the way to treat a senior MP and leader of a political party. We are not criminals”, reads Abdullah’s reply.
Sharing the letter on the micro-blogging site, Tharoor also asked for Abdullah to be allowed to attend the session of parliament saying that it was essential for democracy.
Letter from imprisoned FarooqSaab. Members of Parliament should be allowed to attend the session as a matter of parliamentary privilege. Otherwise the tool of arrest can be used to muzzle opposition voices. Participation in Parliament is essential 4 democracy&popular sovereignty. pic.twitter.com/xEQ45klWCb
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 5, 2019
“Members of Parliament should be allowed to attend the session as a matter of parliamentary privilege. Otherwise, the tool of arrest can be used to muzzle opposition voices. Participation in Parliament is essential for democracy and popular sovereignty”, wrote Tharoor.
