Detained under PSA, Abdullah nominated to key defence panel

The National Conference chief and three-term chief minister Farooq Abdullah has been nominated to the consultative committee on defence. Ironically, he has been booked under the 'public order' provision of the PSA.

New Delhi:Detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) after being accused of having "tremendous potential to create public disorder", former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah has been included in a 21-member consultative committee on defence.

The name of the 81-year-old National Conference leader, in detention at his Srinagar home for over 100 days, tops the list of members of the panel headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The committee's other members include former defence minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, according to a notification issued by Parliamentary Affairs Ministry.

Also in the list is controversial BJP MP Pragya Thakur, whose inclusion has been slammed by the Congress party.

Abdullah was detained on August 5, hours before the Union government scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two union territories.

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Read: Divided regions, will they divide hearts too, asks Farooq Abdullah