The Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA KT Jaleel of Kerala justified his ‘Azad Kashmir’ remark after a district magistrate in Kerala directed the police to file a case against the leader based on the complaint given by a local RSS leader. KT Jaleel said that many other politicians have used the term ‘Azad Kashmir’ but he is selectively being targetted.
Accordingly, a case is registered in the Pathanamthitta police station against KT Jaleel under section 153B of the Indian Penal Code (Assertions prejudicial to national integration). This case is registered over his Facebook post in which he used the words ‘Azad Kashmir’ to describe Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK).
MLA KT Jaleel said, “There are many scholars & politicians who have used Azad Kashmir. Some people are trying to target me. Many Congress leaders and BJP leaders have criticized me harshly for using Azad Kashmir.”
The controversy erupted after MLA KT Jaleel called POK ‘Azad Kashmir’ in one of his Facebook posts when he visited Jammu and Kashmir. He wrote this post on 12th August 2022.
Calling PoK ‘Azad Kashmir’, he wrote, “The part of Kashmir, which was annexed to Pakistan, came to be known as ‘Azad Kashmir’. It is an area where the Government of Pakistan has no direct influence. Only currency and military aid are under Pakistan’s control. Azad Kashmir had its own army. When Zia-ul-Haq was the president of Pakistan, the unified army became the common army of Azad Kashmir. In short, the Government of Pakistan does not have any significant powers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) administratively.”
The Thavanur MLA criticized the abrogation of Article 370 while describing Kashmir’s Occupied Territories as truly independent. It is notable that KT Jaleel is supposed to be a close ally and advisor of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.