The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday refuted lies peddled by the Congress party, especially Rahul Gandhi, and its ecosystem over the house arrest of former Congress MP Saifuddin Soz.
A controversy had erupted on Wednesday after senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz had alleged that he has been detained in his house since August 5 last year, ever since the Modi government abolished the controversial Article 370 that granted autonomy to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Soz’s wife Mumtazunnisa had filed a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court on Wednesday saying that he had been detained since August 5 last year and the grounds for his arrest had not been furnished till date.
However, the Jammu and Kashmir administration submitted to the Supreme Court that senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz is neither detained nor put under house arrest after the abrogation of Article 370. The Jammu and Kashmir Home Department also said that the former union minister was never under any kind of restraint and that he was always free to move.
With the government submitting that he was never detained or put under house arrest, the Supreme Court on Wednesday disposed of the plea by the claiming Sozz had been illegally detained.
A day after his claims were rejected by the Supreme Court, in a dramatic event, Former Union Minister Saifuddin Soz on Thursday scaled a tall wall of his gate at Srinagar’s Friends Colony to make a point that he remained “under house arrest without any formal orders” since August 5 last year.
“The government lied to the Supreme Court. If I am a free man, then allow me to leave the premises. I am not a free man. These policemen are saying they have ordered from the top,” said Soz, who stood behind the gate.
SC dismissed habeas corpus petition by the wife of Saifuddin Soz as the govt said, he is not under any kind of detention.
— Saral Patel (@SaralPatel) July 30, 2020
But this video shows the otherwise, one can clearly see that J&K Police Personnel are literally manhandling him and preventing him from speaking to media. pic.twitter.com/uz4Slf7H4b
Congress party, its media ecosystem launch attack on J&K administration
Soon after the dramatic event, the Congress party and its media ecosystem jumped into the scene to attack the Modi government over its submission to the court on the issue of Soz’s detention. The controversial news channel NDTV released a purported video to claim that the senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz was kept under house arrest by the J&K administration.
The contention of the left-wing NDTV, which has a rich history of peddling fake news, was that the Congress leader was not allowed to leave his residence in Srinagar and went on to insinuate that the J&K administration had lied before the Supreme Court. In the video released by NDTV, Soz, who is seen inside, was screaming against the J&K administration to portray that he was being kept under house detention.
Watch | Saifuddin Soz kept behind locked gates in his home, shouts “Let Supreme Court see how I am being detained” pic.twitter.com/nhRi1LE0Vf
— NDTV (@ndtv) July 29, 2020
Rahul Gandhi misleads public
Even Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi latched up to the misleading claims pushed by NDTV, to call for an ‘immediate release’ of Jammu and Kashmir Congress leader Saifuddin Soz and claimed that the ‘illegal’ detention of political leaders damaged the fabric of the country.
“The illegal detention of political leaders with absolutely no basis damages the fabric of our nation. Mr Soz must be released at once,” Gandhi tweeted by sharing the NDTV news report.
The illegal detention of political leaders with absolutely no basis damages the fabric of our nation.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 30, 2020
Mr Soz must be released at once. pic.twitter.com/TGfkjSx3qI
However, all the claims made by the Congress party and its ecosystem was categorically rejected by the Jammu and Kashmir administration, who insisted on the fact that the former Union Minister Soz was neither detained nor put under house arrest and he was always free to move.
Saifuddin Soz roams freely, visited Delhi twice: J&K administration
Contrary to the claims made by Saifuddin Soz and the Congress party over his ‘illegal detention’, the Jammu and Kashmir has stated that they have not made any false claims in the Supreme Court. Interestingly, it was revealed that Soz, who claims to have been under house arrest, had visited Delhi twice, once in October and another time in December.
Rohit Kansal, the Principal Secretary Jammu and Kashmir Information department, also confirmed Soz’s visit to Delhi and also categorically stated that he was free to go wherever he wishes to but with usual security drill.
It is pertinent to note that Soz is a categorised protectee, who has been provided with round the clock security guards and personal security officers, who escort him wherever he goes and follows the security protocol.
Interestingly, Soz, who all along claimed to have been under house arrest, himself confessed to have gone to Delhi twice.
Speaking to the Hindu, Soz said, “I did meet my ailing sister twice and visited Delhi for medical check-ups twice since August 5, 2019, but only after seeking formal permission from the police, that too in October and December. On many occasions, I was denied permission. I remain under house arrest without any formal orders”.
Not only that, a video has also surfaced on social media platforms in which Soz can be seen roaming freely on the streets of Srinagar. Apparently, the video was shot on Thursday, few hours after Soz’s had climbed the wall to claim that he was under house arrest.
This is the kind of deception these guys play & have been playing for decades now.
— Ieshan Vinay Misri (@ieshan_m) July 31, 2020
Did @ndtv get played too or was it “milibagat”/ preplanned?
Saifudin soz visting sister’s home after @ndtv yesterday claimed that he was under illegal detention and govt. lied to SC#August5 pic.twitter.com/v6Y6D5UJZv
With such damning evidences to prove that senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz was not at all under house arrest contrary to his claims, it is rather shocking to know why was Congress party and its media ecosystem like NDTV trying to misleading public by making such false claims.
