Sitaram Yechury on incident involving Abhinandan: Political parties will react only after Centre issues authoritative statement

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury on Friday said that the Centre should first release a statement on India's position in connection with the incident involving Abhinandan Varthaman before the political parties can react on it.

Yechury's statement comes after a Pakistani lawmaker Ayaz Sadiq of Pakistan Muslim League-N, recounting the events of February 2019 meeting during which the Imran Khan government decided to release Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan, said that Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa's "legs were shaking" while Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the meeting of parliamentary leaders that India was about to attack their country.

"India and Pakistan are trading charges. First of all, what is the authoritative statement by the government of India? Only when it comes, then only the political parties can react," Yechury told ANI here.

Earlier, in a speech in the National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq had said that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had in an important meeting pointed out that if Pakistan did not release Abhinandan Varthaman, India would attack Pakistan "that night by 9 pm."

The PML-N leader told opposition leaders that Qureshi in a meeting with the parliamentary leaders, including PPP and PML-N and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, had asked for Abhinandan to be let free.

Later on, former Air Force chief BS Dhanoa on Thursday said that India was ready to wipe out Pakistan's forward brigades had Islamabad's "military adventure" been successful in response to the Balakot aerial strikes and added that "our military posture was very offensive".

Meanwhile, the CPI-M leader further attacked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is currently campaigning in Bihar.

Yechury said Adityanath should first explain what is happening in his own state today rather than attacking the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for the 'jungle raj' under its rule in Bihar.

"What can I say except laugh? What is happening in his own UP (Uttar Pradesh)? Why are Dalit girls gang-raped and murdered so cruelly, it's hapless of course the manner in which the administration, his administration, his government the manner in which clandestinely they bring the body and dispose it off at midnight, pouring kerosene on it and not allowing family members to be there. What more cruelty can you expect?" Yechury said.

"They have the guts to call it 'jungle raj', first explain what are you doing in UP? The only state in the country where they impose fines on the basis of allegations that minority community people have destroyed public property. Only the British used to do it, and you know how we fought and got rid of British," he added.

The CPI-M leader also expressed his condolences over the passing away of Keshubhai Patel, former CM of Gujarat, who passed away yesterday.

He further also attacked the Centre over the changes in land laws made in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by saying, "The change in land laws they have brought about in Jammu and Kashmir is actually a loot of J-K's resources and assets."

(ANI)

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