SC allows G N Azad to visit J&K on undertaking that he won’t hold political rallies
New Delhi, Sep 16: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad to visit Jammu and Kashmir. He had earlier moved the Supreme Court seeking permission to visit his home state to enquire about the well being of his family.
The apex court granted Azad permission to visit Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag and Jammu, said reports. The apex court has also reportedly asked Ghulam Nabi Azad to file a report on the situation in Kashmir.
"He will not make any speeches or hold any public rally as per his own submissions," reports quoted CJI Ranjan Gogoi as saying.
Further, during the course of the hearing, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi said, "If requirement arises, I may visit Jammu and Kashmir."
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Azad's plea was taken up by a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S A Bobde and S Abdul Nazeer today. Azad has sought a nod from the top court to visit his family members and relatives. He had tried to visit the state after the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status but was sent back from the airport by authorities.
"I am thankful to the Supreme Court for permitting me to travel to Jammu and Kashmir. I will present my report before the Supreme Court. I am happy that no less than CJI has shown his concern and he has held that he should visit Jammu and Kashmir and see how things are moving," Azad told news agency ANI after the apex court's ruling.
In his petition before the top court, he has also sought permission to check on social conditions in the state after the clampdown imposed by the authorities in the aftermath of revocation of provisions of Article 370.
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Several opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, had sought to visit J&K, but were not allowed to do so and were sent back from the airport itself.
CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury's Kashmir visit:
Last month, the top court had allowed CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury to visit Jammu and Kashmir to meet his ailing party colleague Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami. Yechury had attempted to visit Tarigami twice earlier, only to be forced to return from Srinagar airport. It was only after the Supreme Court directed that the CPI(M) general secretary was allowed to step out of the airport on August 29. The apex court asked him to go to Kashmir and visit his colleague Mohd. Yusuf Tarigami and file an affidavit on his return to the court detailing his health condition.
[Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Javed allowed to travel to Srinagar to meet her mother]
The top court had on September 5, allowed former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija to meet her in Kashmir, where she is under detention following the revocation of the state's special status.
The apex court had allowed Iltija to meet her mother in private but said that as far as moving around in other parts of Srinagar goes, she can do so subject to the permission from district authorities.