Since when Do Indians Need Amit Shah's Permit to Travel to Any Part of India, Asks Yechury

New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) Hitting out at Home Minister Amit Shah for his remark that everyone, including politicians, are free to visit Kashmir whenever they want, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Thursday that Indians don't need permission to travel across the country.

In reference to politicians, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi not allowed to enter Kashmir last year, Shah said, "They never went to Kashmir after they were stopped once. They can go now: anyone can go there now, we will give permission to everyone."

Reacting to the comment, Yechury tweeted, "Since when do Indians need permission to travel to any other part of India from Amit Shah? And btw (by the way), I went again to Kashmir, Mr Shah, without your condescending permission, but after filing a case in the Supreme Court."

He further said that the present government was an incompetent one if the home minister was not aware of his visit.

"You not only run a brutal and insensitive government but also an incompetent one, if your agencies didn't tell you that I went to Kashmir thrice," he said.

Yechury and CPI general secretary D Raja were forced to return from Srinagar airport while attempting to visit the Valley. The duo along with Gandhi and other leaders were stopped again on their second attempt soon after.

Yechury was only allowed to go and visit ailing party colleague Yousuf Tarigami on the instructions of the apex court.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)