Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi took to Twitter to take a dig at the Prime Minister and BJP over Alam’s release. “A party constantly speaking on nationalism & against separatism & terrorism in opposition now supine & impotent against coalition compulsions!,” he tweets.

Uddhav Thackeray seeks criminal case against Mufti Sayeed, asks whether a CM has right to release people like Masarat Alam, say media reports.

Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress stages a silent protest against Masarat Alam’s release.

Members of various organizations including Shiv Sena, Kranti Dal hold protest in Jammu as they demand immediate re-arrest of Alam while asking the BJP to come clean on the issue.

Life remains normal in the state despite a two-day shutdown call given by the Panthers Party in Jammu against the release of Masrat Alam at state Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed`s orders.

On Alam’s release, Communist Party India (CPI) leader D Raja says, “We have heard what our Prime Minister has said but the government in Jammu and Kashmir is a coalition government….The BJP cannot absolve its responsibility. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should own responsibility and explain its position.”

Senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz says, “Hurriyat shouldn`t go to the Pakistan High Commission to discuss politics because it is not going to benefit them. Hurriyat should instead talk to Government of India and the Government of India should also open a dialogue with them. That is the only option; there is no point in initiating dialogue with Government of Pakistan.”

“I assure the House that after the clarification from the state government, if needed, we will issue a strong advisory,” Rajnath says in Lok Sabha.

In an another tweet the HMO writes: “The Central govt is not satisfied with the J&K Home Dept. report. We have sought clarifications from the State.”

The official twitter handle of Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s office (HMO) tweets: “Centre has got a report from J&K Home Dept on the release of Masrat Alam.It says he has been granted bail in all cases against him.”​

BJP lawmakers in Jammu and Kashmir demand immediate arrest of hardliner Masarat Alam. “BJP strongly opposes and rejects the decision to release Masarat Alam and believes that the conduct of Alam, after his release and the statements made by him and situation existing now, are fresh inputs to consider his fresh detention under PSA immediately in the interest of the security of the state,” says state BJP General Secretary Rajiv Jasrotia.

Criticising BJP for its “suicidal surrender and U-turn on its jingoistic rhetoric” on the release of hardline separatist leader Masarat Alam, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) says the party had compromised on all its policies for the sake of power. “We accuse BJP for its suicidal surrender and U-turn on its jingoistic rhetoric. The state unit of BJP owes an explanation to the people of state for its criminal silence over the spate of announcements and measures announced by PDP in furtherance of its highly controversial agenda,” JKNPP Chairman, Harsh Dev Singh tells reporters.

In Srinagar, Masarat Alam tells reporters: “Mufti Sayeed should not try to take political mileage out of it. I was released through a normal legal procedure since my Public safety Act (PSA) detention was about to end in the next two to three days.” “What difference does it make if one person is released when there are thousands languishing in jails,” he adds while denying that he had been responsible for the killings of youths during the 2010 unrest in the Valley. “It was Omar Abdullah and not me who is responsible for those killings,” says Alam.  

BJP legislators meet Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at his residence over Masarat Alam’s release. 

Saying that Masarat Alam’s release is not a big deal, separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani says the accusations against the Hurriyat hardliner are untrue.

Talking to a news agency, Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani says India should accept the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory and not a part of India. Calling Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s praise of Hurriyat as a mere political stunt, Geelani opined that there will be no change in Kashmir.

Taking a jibe at the BJP, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah says a CM has to be trusted to decide what is in the interest of his/her state. On microblogging website Twitter, Abdullah says: