Ghulam Nabi Azad meets Farooq Abdullah, demands full statehood for Jammu&Kashmir

The leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad met National Conference (NC) president, Farooq Abdullah, at his residence and also demanded full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq was released from detention on Friday after the Centre issued orders to revoke detention of NC chief, who was detained under the Public Safety Act following the abrogation of Article 370.

Srinagar (J-K): Senior Congress leader and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad met NationalConference (NC) president, Farooq Abdullah, at his residence here on Saturday and also pitched for full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking to media, Azad demanded that detained leaders should be freed as quickly as possible and that Jammu and Kashmir should be made a full-fledged state.

"Jammu and Kasmir should be accorded with full statehood as it is a big territory. During the time of Independence, it wasn't necessary to merge any state with J-K as it was itself a vast territory."

Earlier in the day, the three-time former chief minister Farooq met his son Omar Abdullah in the sub-jail in Srinagar where the latter has been under detention for a couple of months.

Farooq was released from detention on Friday after the Centre issued orders to revoke detention of NC chief, who was detained under the Public Safety Act following the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. He was under house arrest for seven months.

Many mainstream leaders in Jammu and Kashmir including Farooq's son Omar and People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti have been also put under house arrest following the abrogation of Article 370 in August that granted special powers to the region.

(With inputs from ANI)