Tharoor demands release of journalists arrested in Kashmir, UP

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday urged the Union Home Minister to facilitate immediate and unconditional release of journalists Fahad Shah, Sajad Gul and Siddique Kappan who have been arrested on various charges.

New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday urged the Union Home Minister to facilitate immediate and unconditional release of journalists Fahad Shah, Sajad Gul and Siddique Kappan who have been arrested on various charges. Raising the issue in Lok Sabha during Zero Hour, Tharoor said Shah and Gul have been arrested on charges of sedition and under the Public Safety Act respectively in Jammu and Kashmir, while Kappan has been in "prolonged detention" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Uttar Pradesh. "Journalists in Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh or anywhere in the country deserve to do their job safely and without fear of arrest," Tharoor said.

He urged the home minister to facilitate the immediate and unconditional release of Fahad Shah, Sajad Gul and Siddique Kappan in the interest of preserving the freedom of press in the country. National Conference member Hasnain Masoodi also associated himself with the issue raised by Tharoor.

Masoodi also voiced concern over the disparities in disability pension and honorarium given to home guards in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country despite the reading down of Articles 370 and 35A. He said disability pension in Jammu and Kashmir was one fifth of what was being given in the rest of the country and demanded that it be raised to a minimum of Rs 5,000 per month.

Masoodi said home guards in J&K were getting an honorarium of Rs 2,700 per month which was a fraction of Rs 22,000 per month given in other parts of the country and sought parity in this regard. BJP member Rajendra Agarwal demanded a single-window system for granting of no objection certificates (NoC) related to pollution control to handloom units in Meerut.

He said seven NoCs were required to be obtained by handloom units from different authorities ever since Meerut became a part of the national capital region. BSP member Ritesh Pandey demanded reduction in GST on thread used by weavers in his Ambedkar Nagar constituency.

Congress member Gaurav Gogoi demanded scrapping of the north-east industrial investment policy implemented by the Modi government, contending that it was not helping development in the region. Gogoi demanded reinstatement of the policy implemented by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the UPA years. RLP member Hanuman Beniwal demanded enhancement in the compensation given to the kin of those who died due to COVID-19.

PTI