Tarigami by his side, Yechury announces sustained legal battle on Article 370

NEW DELHI: CPI(M) chief Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday announced that his party will mount a sustained legal battle in Supreme Court against abrogation of Article 370 which had given special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcation of the state and related issues.

Ravi S. Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 17

CPI(M) chief Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday announced that his party will mount a sustained legal battle in Supreme Court against abrogation of Article 370 which had given special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcation of the state and related issues.

The four-time sitting CPI(M) MLA from Kulgam, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, will lead the battle.

“The case will be registered in the name of Yousuf Tarigami,” said Yechury, adding that the boundary of the state was changed without approval of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

Charging that the Centre of being high-handed in its spectrum of actions regarding the state, including scrapping it of special status, and carving out Ladakh as Union Territory, he expressed apprehension on the final end-result of it all.

Just when a chance of government formation after BJP withdrew support from PDP-led government brightened, President’s rule was imposed.

Yechury thanked the apex court for having allowed him to visit the state and also for allowing Tarigami to visit AIIMS-Delhi for medical treatment.

The CPI(M) chief had challenged detention of Tarigami in Jammu and Kashmir following revocation of Article 370. The case will also be pursued, he added.

He said the Centre’s claim of normalcy in the state is misleading. There is complete lockdown in the state, with curb on movement of the commoners and break-down in communication system.

Yehcury and Tarigami condemned the government for slapping PSA on Farooq Abdullah.

Tarigami said he was informed on the intervening night of August 4 and August 5 that he had been placed under house arrest.

“Although I have seen worse days in the state, I am shocked at the latest turn of events. The BJP government has changed the status of the state in one stroke without taking people into confidence,” he said.

People of the state want to be in sync with the nation. “Give us the chance to march with you,” Tarigami said in an appeal to the Union government.