"Why is freedom being denied to a son of India and Kashmir, Shah Faesal", questions P Chidambaram

On the occasion of 73rd Independence Day, former union minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday paid homage to the soldiers of India who laid down their lives in the line of duty while slamming the treatment meted out to former IAS officer Shah Faesal yesterday.

"Happy Independence Day! Salute the freedom fighters who braved a colonial power to win independence for the nation. Why is freedom being denied to a son of India and Kashmir, Shah Faesal? Only a few years ago, when he topped the IAS, he was celebrated as a hero, today how has he become a threat to public safety?," he tweeted on Thursday.

Yesterday, Faesal was detained at Delhi airport just before he was to fly to Turkey. The former bureaucrat turned politician was sent back to Srinagar and later detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

The former finance minister also raked up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers being put under house arrest and questioned, "Why is freedom being denied to three former CMs of J & K since August 6th? Why are two former CMs under virtual solitary confinement and one former CM under house arrest? Why are political leaders who fought secessionists and militants locked up?."

Several prominent politicians from Jammu and Kashmir - were placed under house arrest hours before the Centre scrapped Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir on August 5.

Earlier this month, Parliament had revoked Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and also passed Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Act 2019, reorganizing the state in two Union Territories--Jammu and Kashmir with Assembly and Ladakh without it.