Opposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the DMK, protested on Thursday to demand the release of political leaders under detention in Jammu and Kashmir. Congress leader P Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram also joined the protest at Jantar Mantar. P Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI on Wednesday night in connection with a money laundering case related to INX Media. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja, SP leader Ramgopal Yadav, Loktantrik Janata Dal’s Sharad Yadav, RJD’s Manoj Jha and TMC’s Dinesh Trivedi were among those who attended the protest. The leaders raised slogans demanding the restoration of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, resumption of telecom services in the Valley and the immediate release of all political leaders who have been detained. The National Conference, whose leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah are among those detained after the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5, was present too. Karti Chidambaram, who arrived in Delhi from Chennai on Thursday morning, had told reporters at the airport that he would join the protest.
