Supreme Court Allows Congress Leader Ghulam Nabi Azad To Visit Jammu And Kashmir

Supreme Court has allowed senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad to visit his home state of Jammu and Kashmir to enquire about the well being of his family members. Azad, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, will be allowed to visit Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag and Jammu during his visit. However, he will not be allowed to make any speeches or hold any public rally. He will be free to interact with the people.

Azad has sought a nod from the top court to visit his family members and relatives. He had tried to visit the state after the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status but was sent back from the airport by authorities.

His plea was taken up by a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S A Bobde and S Abdul Nazeer on Monday.

In his petition before the top court, he had also sought permission to check on social conditions in the state after the clampdown imposed by the authorities in the aftermath of revocation of provisions of Article 370.

Several opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, had sought to visit Jammu and Kashmir, but were not allowed to do so and were sent back from the airport itself.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury had moved the apex court to see his ailing party colleague Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami,  which allowed him to pay a visit but with certain conditions.

The top court had on September 5, allowed former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija to meet her in Kashmir, where she is under detention following the revocation of the state's special status.

The top court had allowed Iltija to meet her mother in private but said that as far as moving around in other parts of Srinagar goes, she can do so subject to the permission from district authorities.

(With PTI Inputs)