In Yechury, Kashmir lost true friend: Tarigami

Kulgam, Sep 13: Paying tributes to CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, senior party leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Friday termed the veteran communist leader's passing as a great loss for Kashmir.

"In Yechury, Kashmir lost a true friend," he said. Addressing a press conference in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, Tarigami said that Yechury was widely respected across the political spectrum. “Even his opponents held his opinion in high regard,” he said. Tarigmai said that apart from sharing the responsibility of the party, he played a key role in forming many coalitions and alliances.

“His contribution in forming the INDIA bloc has been recognised by all its constituents,” the CPI(M) leader said. He said that Yechury was always concerned about the plights of people of Kashmir. “When the Central government unilaterally scrapped the special constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir, he was among the first leaders to visit Srinagar,” Tarigami said.

He said that Yechury was not allowed to see him as he was placed under house arrest. Tarigami said that he later sought permission from the Supreme Court. “Only then I was allowed to move to Delhi for treatment where we addressed a press conference,” he said. Tarigami said that the Yechury briefed succinctly the national and international media about the situation in Kashmir.

“Yechury said that depriving the people of Jammu and Kashmir of their rights is no way good for the republic itself,” Tarigami said. The veteran communist leader breathed his last on Saturday afternoon in AIIMS, where he was going under treatment for severe lung infection.

Tarigami said that he called on Yechury during his recent visit to Delhi and found Yechury equally concerned about people of Kashmir as he always had been. An emotional Tarigami said that the veteran leader always was championed the cause of poor and subaltern and they would try to uphold his legacy.