The last time Farooq Abdullah was summoned by the agency was before August 5.
New Delhi:
The Law Enforcement Directorate questioned high-ranking politician Farooq Abdullah today regarding alleged wrongdoing at the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association. His party’s National Conference linked the questioning to Farooq Abdullah’s recent move to bring all J&K parties together in a campaign to restore special status.
The Enforcement Directorate, which investigates financial crimes, has taken note of the IWC’s investigation into the money laundering allegations related to the J&K cricket body. The CBI had previously filed a charge sheet against Mr Abdullah, a National Conference deputy, and three others, for alleged embezzlement in the amount of Rs 43.69 crore between 2002-11.
“The letter from the Directorate of Enforcement came after Gupkar’s statement. It is a clear political revenge after the ‘People’s Alliance’ was formed in Kashmir,” a spokesman for the National Conference said on Monday.
“We knew it was coming,” the party said, adding that the ruling BJP in the center was using its agencies to fight the new political formation because it “could not fight politically.”
The last time Abdullah, 82, was subpoenaed by the agency was before August 5, when the center ended Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 and divided it into two union territories.
Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and PPD leader Mehbooba Mufti, all former chief ministers, are among dozens of politicians detained after that move.
While the Abdullahs, detained under the strict Public Safety Law, were released earlier this year, Mehbooba Mufti was released last Tuesday.
Soon after, Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Sajjad Lone and others joined on Thursday and formed the “People’s Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration” to fight for the restoration of Article 370 and the “Kashmir resolution.”
Abdullah had said: “Our battle is a constitutional battle, we want the Government of India to return to the people of the state the rights they had before August 5, 2019. We will fight for the restoration of what was taken from Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.. “
The Gupkar Declaration was signed on August 4, 2019, after an all-party meeting at Abdullah’s home in Srinagar, on Gupkar Road. Regional parties and Congress resolved to protect Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status and to fight any move to dilute it. Two days later, the Center enforced its massive Article 370 decision.
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