Protect Kashmiri students' rights to express views: CPI

CPI General Secretary D Raja on Tuesday urged Home Minister Amit Shah to help Kashmiri students who are unable to reach their family in Kashmir and protect their rights to express their views.

In a letter to the Home Minister, Raja said some students recently met him and found out that they were unable to contact their parents and relatives in the Valley.

"Similarly some of them are facing financial difficulties due to curfew and restriction imposed in the valley. Some of them are being threatened and feel insecure. Their democratic rights to express their views should also be protected...We hope that the Union government will do the needful help to Kashmiri students in distress and provide them adequate protection," he said.

He also raised the issue of the Jammu and Kashmir administration not allowing him and his CPI(M) counterpart Sitaram Yechury to visit Srinagar on August 9. They were not allowed to leave Srinagar after they landed there to meet party leaders and workers.

"I along with Com. Sitaram Yechury of CPI(M) tried to visit Srinagar to meet our party cadre and to know the situation on the ground. We had informed the Governor about our visit...But we were detained at Srinagar Airport and were not allowed to go out. This is against our democratic rights and we strongly protest against this infringement of our rights," he said.

Yechury had on August 10 written to President Ram Nath Kovind "strongly" protesting against the government not allowing them to visit Srinagar. He said there was "widespread discontent" amongst the people and demanded the President's intervention to ensure that all Indians are permitted to exercise their fundamental rights.