JK detention in country's interest unlike arrests during Emergency: Govt

In a dig at the Congress, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday referred to the cases of detention in Kashmir saying the government took the decisions in the interest of the country but during Emergency, 36 MPs were booked to "save the chair of one person".

Replying to a supplementary during Question Hour, he said the decision to detain leaders such as former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah was taken to maintain law and order.

"In the country's interest, different people were arrested at different time... During Emergency, you arrested 36 MPs to save one person's chair ... We are working in the interest of the nation and its law and order," he said in response to a query on how long the government will prevent Abdullah from attending Lok Sabha.

Reddy said some measures have to be taken time to time in the interest of the country.

When Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also raised the issue, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said, "You have not raised questions about the member of this House. You have raised a general question... What is in the interest of the country or not will be decided by the appropriate authorities."