Teen-aged children are being detained and tortured in police lockups in Jammu and Kashmir, said AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday, rebuffing the Centre's claim that things were normal in the newly formed union territory.
"14-year-old children are being arrested. They are beaten up for two-three days inside the lock-up and then handed over to their parents by the Inspector. There is no implementation of Juvenile Justice Act there, and juvenile centre having a capacity to accommodate 100 children are overcrowded with 500," he said talking to media.
Owaisi asked why the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad have to seek permission from the Supreme Court to travel to his home state?
"It shows that there is no normalcy in Kashmir. If the government claims that everything is normal then why can't politics be done," he said.
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed senior Congress leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Azad to visit Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag and Jammu. Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi said, "He will not make any speeches or hold any public rally as per his submissions."
CJI further stated, "If requirement arises, I may visit Jammu and Kashmir."
Speaking to ANI, Azad said his petition on the scrapping of Article 370 was in his capacity and on humanitarian grounds. The Congress leader stated that he wants to enquire about the well-being of his family members and other residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
Recently, Azad was part of a delegation of Opposition leaders led by Rahul Gandhi, who wanted to visit Jammu and Kashmir to review the 'ground reality'. However, authorities stopped the delegation from stepping out of Srinagar airport and they were sent back to Delhi.
(With inputs from ANI)