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Updated March 16th, 2020 at 18:03 IST

Sambit Patra hits out at Yechury: 'Tukde Tukde gang echoing same sentiment as Pakistan'

Sambit Patra on Monday reacted to Yechury talking about Pak raising Kashmir issue during the video conference meeting of SAARC members on COVID-19 pandemic.

Reported by: Misha Bhatt
CPI-M
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Reacting to the Communist Party of India's (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury's stand on Pakistan bringing up the Kashmir issue during the SAARC meet, BJP leader Sambit Patra on Monday slammed Yechury for playing 'petty politics.'

"This is petty politics. PM Modi has really shown a tall stature across the globe by being a global leader by calling across all the SAARC countries to unite together to find a solution to the problem faced by humanity due to coronavirus outbreak. I believe at this time, politicising this in a petty way, almost singing the same tune as Pakistan by bringing Kashmir issue, is not done. People all over are humiliating Pakistan and saying that it should not have raised the Kashmir issue. But astonishingly, we have the Tukde Tukde gang in India which is echoing the same kind of sentiment as Pakistan," Sambit Patra said. 

"I don't want to politicise this because we all have to come together and fight something which is a pandemic in the world," the BJP leader added. 

Earlier in the day, Yechury had defended Pakistan by saying that it has just demanded proper facility for Kashmir valley to combat with Corona pandemic.

"It all depends on what the conversation took place, I was not privy to it. According to what I read, if that is true then the only issue raised by Pakistan was that Kashmir valley should also have the facility to combat the virus," Yechury had said. 

READ | Pakistan raises Kashmir at SAARC COVID-19 meet, demands lifting of 'lockdown in J&K'

Pakistan rakes up Kashmir at COVID-19 meet 

Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's special assistant Dr. Zafar Mirza took a shocking political jibe at the SAARC Conference on COVID-19 by raking up Kashmir while discussing the seven countries' efforts to battle the epidemic. Mirza expressed his 'concerns' that 19 cases have been detected in Jammu-Kashmir. Demanding India remove the 'lockdown in J&K immediately', he said that it was imperative in the face of the emergency. The Pakistan Prime Minister was the only country leader who did not attend the meeting.

"We hope that during this COVID-19, our member countries will provide access to all the regions. In this regard, it is a matter of concern that COVID-19 has reported from Jammu and Kashmir. In the view of emergency its imperative that all lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir must be lifted immediately, opening up communication and movement," said Mirza. Moreover, reports state that Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is probing into Mirza's alleged involvement in smuggling 20 million face masks abroad.

READ | Pak attends SAARC conference led by PM Modi; elaborates on coronavirus, brings in J&K

READ | Singhvi says 'Pakistan deserves to be quarantined' for raising J&K in SAARC COVID-19 meet

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Published March 16th, 2020 at 18:03 IST

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