Supreme Court allows Sitaram Yechury to visit Kashmir to meet party leader Yousuf Tarigami

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury to visit Kashmir and meet his party member in the state. "Yechury should not indulge in any other act except meeting Tarigami, else it will be construed as violation of the Court's  order," the top court said.

The top court also allowed a law student to visit the Valley and asked the administration to facilitate his travel and provide adequate protection.

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"The petitioner student Mohammad Aleem Sayeed shall be allowed to travel to Jammu and Kashmir and visit Anantnag and visit parents and file an affidavit after his return," the court said.

Earlier, Yechury was denied visit to Kashmir and Centre argued that it would endanger the situation.

Yecury and CPI chief D Raja were not allowed to enter Jammu and Kashmir on August 9 and were sent back from Srinagar airport after a brief detention, party sources had claimed.

The Left leaders had gone to Srinagar to meet CPI (M) leader Md Tarigami and other party colleagues. 

Tarigami, a member of the Central Committee of the CPI(M) and four-time MLA of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, has not been keeping well, party sources said.

"They showed us a legal order which did not allow any entry into Srinagar. It stated that even escorted movement int the city was not permitted due to security reasons. We are still trying to negotiate with them," Yechury was quoted as saying by PTI.

Yechury and CPI general secretary Raja had written to Satya Pal Malik informing him of their visit and requesting him to facilitate their entry.

"Both of us had written to the J&K governor requesting him that there should be no hurdles for our visit... despite that we have been detained. I wanted to meet my ailing colleague and our comrades who are here," Yechury said.

Later, Yechury filed a petition in the top court for production of Tarigami, who has been detained in Jammu and Kashmir since the Centre abrogated provisions of Article 370. 

The CPI(M) said the writ petition has been filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, a person has right to move to Supreme Court (and high courts also) for getting his fundamental rights protected