Lucknow, Jan 3 (IANS): Congress leader Ajay Rai on Friday lauded the Allahabad High Court's decision to prevent the arrest of Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur Rehman Barq in connection with the Sambhal violence case, after earlier rejecting his plea to quash the First Information Report (FIR) against him and directing him to cooperate with the police investigation.
Talking to IANS, Rai expressed support for the court's ruling, emphasising the importance of justice and fairness in the case.
"I would definitely like to say that keeping in mind the situation there today, the atrocities and injustice that the government is doing should be stopped, and the people should be allowed to go there freely," he said.
"I am not there, but remember, whatever decision the court takes, everyone will welcome it."
On Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks regarding Article 370, where he claimed that the abrogation of the provision for special status of Jammu and Kashmir, led to a significant reduction in terror incidents in the region by over 70 per cent, Rai challenged the claim. "Look, Article 370 has been removed. But after that, terrorism has increased significantly. You see, earlier there were no incidents of terrorism in Jammu, but now there are incidents happening there. It has only escalated, and I wonder if Amit Shah is not able to handle things or if they have gone out of hand."
Rai further criticised Shah’s leadership, urging him to focus on addressing the real issues facing the nation rather than making statements about history and constitutional changes.
"I would like to say to Amit Shah, do the work, don’t bother about the name. Work for the people. Today, unemployment, inflation, and law and order have become serious issues. There is devastation all around. Work to fix it," he said.
Shah had made his remarks about Article 370 during the launch of the book "Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh Through the Ages: A Visual Narrative of Continuities and Linkages", where he discussed the historical context and the significance of Kashmir’s integration with India. He claimed that a distorted history of the region had led people to view Kashmir as separate from the rest of India, and that this perception was challenged through the abrogation of Article 370.