CPI(M) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir legislator Yousuf Tarigami has not been allowed by the Srinagar administration to attend a meeting of the central committee of the party in Delhi. The authorities have refused to respond to his application seeking permission to travel.
The central committee is the highest decision-making body of the party. The three-day meeting began on October 2 and will close on October 4.
“We had submitted an application to district magistrate of Srinagar Shahid Chaudhary well in time for the meeting. We didn't get any reply from him; he didn't even bother to meet us,” said Irfan Gul, a close aide of Mr. Tarigami and convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Youth Federation.
Mr. Tarigami (72), a four-time legislator, had been put under house arrest without any formal orders since August 5 at his residence in Srinagar. He has not been allowed to travel or meet anyone.
“Nobody can go to meet him and nor can he go out of his house,” Mr. Gul said.
After two failed visits to Srinagar when he had to return back from the airport itself, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury filed a habeus corpus petition in the Supreme Court, following which he was allowed to travel to Mr. Tarigami's residence on August 29. Based on Mr. Yechury's report on Mr. Tarigami's health condition, the apex court ordered that he be brought to Delhi for a medical check-up and follow-up treatment at the AIIMS. He was shifted to the AIIMS on September 9 and he returned to Srinagar on September 19. Before leaving for the State, Mr. Tarigami confirmed that he would return to the Capital to attend the central committee meeting.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer had in their final order said that “if he intends to move around any part of Srinagar, where there are restrictions or prohibitions to move, he will be free to do so subject to requisite permission from the district authorities”.
The Supreme Court once again on Tuesday directed the Union government to explain the reasons for detaining Mr. Tarigami. Meanwhile, he filed a separate petition in the court challenging the constitutionality of the abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Published - October 03, 2019 06:01 pm IST
