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| Sitaram Yechury and D.Raja during a press conference in Delhi. |
The two leaders were on their way to meet Yusuf Tarigami, prominent cadre of CPI(M), MLA of Jammu & Kashmir Assembly, and to meet people from the region. In a press conference they said the government violated their democratic right to meet theircomrade. The moment they alighted from the flight, they were whisked away by security forces, their bags taken away and they were confined to a room. They were informed that they can't be allowed to step out of the airport because of the prevailing law and order situation in the State, they added.
Sitaram Yechury said: “It is our democratic right to meet our own comrade, who has been keeping unwell. The Central government wants everyone to believe that there is no curfew in Kashmir and everything is normal. But our experience today shows that the place has been completely taken over by security forces. The repression is palpable and visible to everyone.”
In a statement, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) points out:
"The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemns the detention of Sitaram Yechury General Secretary of the Party and D Raja, General Secretary of the CPI at the Srinagar airport. This shows the authoritarian face of the BJP government.
Sitaram Yechury and D Raja had gone to Srinagar to visit Md Tarigami, MLA, the ailing leader of the CPI(M) and to meet the people of J&K.
The Polit Bureau calls upon the people to protest this anti-democratic act of the BJP government."
The CPI further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday in his broadcast to the nation claimed that there is normalcy in the Jammu & Kashmir and people are happy with the decision of abolition of article 370 and 35A. If it is true then why the national leaders are not allowed meeting the people of J & K. The whole Jammu & Kashmir is under seize with tens of thousands of security forces and they are parading in the streets of towns, villages and undemocratic curfew is in existence. This reflects the reality.
CPI condemns the arrest of D Raja and Sitaram Yechury and demanding to release them immediately. They should be allowed to meet the party leaders, activists and people of the state.
Solidarity from the KKE
A statement of solidarity towards the Communist Parties of India, CPI and CPI(M), was issued by the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) which condemns the detention and demands the immediate lift of any barriers in the political activity of India's communists.
