Farooq Abdullah who is under detention for over 110 days, and accused of “tremendous potential to create public disorder,” has been included in the 21-member panel headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The 81-year-old National Conference politician and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister was slapped with the Public Safety Act on September 17.

Along with Abdullah several Jammu and Kashmir leaders including former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah are also being detained.

While still under detention Abdullah’s name tops the list of the members of the defence panel, which also includes NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Malegaon terror-accused BJP MP Pragya Thakur.

As soon as the list of the parliamentary consultative committee was issued, the Opposition raised objections against the nomination of Pragya Singh Thakur in the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Defence.

Despite being a ‘threat to national security and integrity’, he has been nominated for the defence panel. The Opposition also severely criticised the Centre for not allowing a democratically elected Member of Parliament to attend the Winter Session of the Parliament. “It is his constitutional right,” said Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury while demanding his release. 

(While speaking to the media, a day after his detention, Farooq Abdullah dismisses Centre’s claims that he was sitting in his house by ‘his own will’. While responding to that, he said, “Do you think I will sit in my house when my state is being burnt?”)

Also Read: Malegaon Terror Accused Pragya Thakur Nominated To Parliamentary Panel On Defence