Mallya is a gentleman, will return to India: Farooq

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today came out in support of embattled Kingfisher boss Vijay Mallya, saying there was no need to arrest the business tycoon as he was a "gentleman" and would return to India on his own.
"Vijay Mallya will come home. I don't think government needs to arrest him. He will come and answer. He is a gentleman", Abdullah said.
He said Mallya ran a good budget airline which ran into trouble.
"Look, he has run a very good airline. It was a budget airline, whatever trouble he has today is because of Kingfisher Airlines", the National Conference leader said.

"I think Government of India has its own way of dealing with it. What should be necessary, government will do it" Abdullah said on the sidelines of a function here.
On the change of the venue of the India-Pakistan match in the T20 world cup, Abdullah said "whatever the security they (Pakistan cricket team) demands, we should give them. It is essential as we want to play the game".

"Cricket is cricket, sports has to go on. If there was no terrorism, they would play anywhere, even in Jammu", he said.
He said for better relationship between India and Pakistan, terrorism has to end.

Weighing in on the issue of government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti must make it clear as to what Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) she is seeking from the Centre.
"She should tell the people what CBMs she wants (from the Centre). What is she up to and what she wants from Government of India. Let us all know", he said.
On the controversy over the Art of Living cultural festival organised in Delhi, Abdullah said spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar should not be asked to pay fine as he was holding the festival to promote India.

"Sri Sri is holding the festival and I think he has got the permission to hold the festival. I don't know why the Prime Minister is not going. They say that there was some environment issue. But he should not be asked to pay the money as he is holding the festival to promote India", he said.
On Ishrat Jahan encounter killing, he said the case was already being investigated and the facts must come out.
"Look that is already being investigated by Government. If the file is missing, (from the Home Ministry) it has to be traced and they must re-investigate it. Where and who went wrong so that all of us know. Was she really a terrorist or she was not a terrorist", he said.