Huge difference between govt claims and actual situation: Yechury after returning from J-K

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CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday rejected Centre's claims of normalcy returning in the Valley saying that there is a huge difference between what the government's claims and the actual situation.

"I was put up in a guest house where I could not have gone out and nobody could have come to meet me. As it appeared, there is a huge difference what the government and administration is claiming and the actual situation there," he said here while talking to reporters on his return from Jammu Kashmir.

Yechury had gone to meet his party leader and former MLA Yousuf Tarigami after being allowed by the Supreme Court.

"I met Tarigami yesterday. He has been kept at home. Neither he can go out nor can someone go at his home to meet him. A doctor assessed his medical condition. I will submit these things in Supreme Court," he said.

Giving details of his visit to the Valley, Yechury said, "I landed at Srinagar airport and was escorted straight to his house. They wanted me to return yesterday evening itself but I said I will not go without discussing with doctor."

Yechury said he met Tarigami twice.

On August 28, the Supreme Court had allowed Yechury to visit Jammu and Kashmir and meet his party leader and former MLA, Tarigami.

The top court had said that Yechury's visit should only be to meet party leader Yousuf Tarigami as a friend, and not for any political purpose.

On August 24, Sitaram Yechury had filed a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court for production of party leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, who is allegedly under detention in Jammu and Kashmir since the Central Government abrogated provisions of Article 370.

Tarigami is a member of the Central Committee of the CPI(M) and has served as a four-time MLA of the dissolved Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

Yechury was also part of the delegation of Opposition leaders who had gone to Srinagar on Saturday to see the ground situation in the region. However, they were not allowed to step out of Srinagar airport and were sent back an hour after landing in the city.