File photo of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said that he has no "regrets" that his government had detained Hurriyat hardliner Masarat Alam, who was released following the order of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed earlier in the day.
"Yes, my Govt detained Masarat Alam & we kept him out of circulation. Detention isn't ideal but difficult situations have to be tackled, (sic)" Mr Abdullah tweeted shortly after the release of Mr Alam.
Stating that Mr Alam was "the chief architect" of the anti-national protests of 2010, Mr Abdullah said that his detention ensured peace in the Kashmir Valley even during the time of Afzal Guru's execution in 2013 and allowed for smooth elections.
"Alam was the chief architect of the 2010 protests. It's not a coincidence that the protests died out after his hard won detention. The summer of 2010 was never repeated again, not even after Afzal Guru's execution and a huge reason for that was the absence of Alam," he said.
"Whichever way I look at it Alam's detention saved lives and allowed a smother safer pair of elections so I have no regrets at all," Mr Abdullah said in another tweet.
The former chief minister also said only "time can tell" whether Mr Alam has turned "a new leaf" and "done a deal with Mufti Sayeed" or if he will go back to organising trouble in the Valley.