Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI — Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the Communist Party of India, Marxist, on Saturday filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking production of party leader and four-time MLA Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami. Tarigami’s whereabouts are not known since August 5 after the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre unilaterally scrapped special status of Jammu and Kashmir and arrested all political leaders.
Yechury filed the petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India in the nature of habeas corpus for production of Tarigami who is a member of the Central Committee of the CPI (M) and four-time member of the now dissolved J&K Assembly.
Earlier on August 9, Yechury had gone to Srinagar to meet the ailing leader and other members of the party unit in the state but he was not allowed to step out from the Srinagar airport.
Before embarking on his visit, Yechury had sent a letter to the state Governor SP Malik for permission stating: “The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has an active unit in the state of Jammu & Kashmir and it had a MLA, Mohd. Yusuf Tarigami, in the dissolved J&K assembly. As general secretary of a national party, I wish to visit Mohd. Yusuf Tarigami (who I was informed, is not keeping good health) and other members of my party.
“I propose to reach Srinagar on the 9th morning to meet them. I hope the administration will not create any hurdles in discharging my responsibilities as a leader of my party.”
But, he was not permitted to step out from the Srinagar Airport with some medicine for ailing Tarigami.
The party had lodged a protest over this incident with its official handle tweeting: “Sitaram Yechury is being detained at Srinagar Airport and not allowed to move anywhere. This despite the fact that he had informed the administration about his visit to meet CPIM MLA MY Tarigami who is not well & other party workers. We strongly protest this illegal detention.”
The petition is expected to come up for hearing in the apex court on Monday, August 26.
