The Congress on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is a coalition partner of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir, is equally responsible for separatist leader Masarat Alam's release.
"Governments have a joint responsibility and BJP is equally responsible," said Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma.
"The Prime Minister and the Home Minister had said in Parliament that there is no fresh ground for detaining the concerned separatist, the question is whether sedition is a permissible activity and is not an adequate ground for the state and its agencies to take action," he added while asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.
Asserting that there will be no compromise on national security, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier this month said the Central Government was neither informed nor consulted about Alam's release on the orders of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. I assure the nation that there is no compromise on the unity of the nation," PMO's twitter handle quoted Prime Minister Modi as telling the Lok Sabha.
Seeking to pacify the opposition, Prime Minister Modi said, "This expression of anger over Alam's release does not belong to any political party, but to the entire nation and the entire House."
"This Aakrosh is not about any party or this bench or that bench. It is about the Nation," the PMO's twitter handle added.
The Union Home Ministry had earlier sought a report from the Jammu and Kashmir Government on circumstances leading to the release of separatist leader.
Also Read
Alam was released from Baramulla prison following the new Jammu and Kashmir government's policy to free political prisoners who do not face criminal charges.
Alam is the chairman of Muslim League, a constituent of hard-line Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and is widely seen as the latter's successor.
He had been convicted for organizing anti-India protests resulting in the death of 112 people in stone pelting across the Valley in 2010.