Former Minister K. T. Jaleel, MLA, on Saturday withdrew his controversial Facebook post on Jammu and Kashmir. Almost simultaneously, news broke from New Delhi that the Tilak Marg police booked him on suspected treason charges.
Dr. Jaleel, a Left Democratic Front (LDF) Independent legislator, courted a controversy on Friday by posting a long-winded article on his recent Kashmir tour. In the write-up, Dr. Jaleel mentioned “Indian-occupied Kashmir” and “Azadi Kashmir.” His foray into the touchy topic ignited a fiery political controversy. Dr. Jaleel removed the post stating that he meant no hurt and some quarters had misinterpreted the composition.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K. Surendran said Dr. Jaleel’s remark was detrimental to nationalism. Dr. Jaleel’s post advantaged Pakistan, which orchestrated insurgency and terrorism in Kashmir. Kashmir was central to India’s national identity.
