Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Thursday wrote to Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik to inform him of his planned visit to the state on Friday morning. He expressed hope that he would not face hurdles during the visit.

Earlier on Thursday, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had reached Srinagar, but had to return to Delhi after authorities did not let him exit the airport. Azad had arrived in the city to meet Congress workers as the state has been under a security and information clampdown since Sunday night.

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This week, the Union government decided to revise Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, to a single clause revoking the state’s privileges and ordering all laws to be applicable in the region the way they are in the rest of India. The government also split the state into two Union territories.

In his letter to Malik, Yechury said his party has an active unit in the state and had a member, Yousuf Tarigami, in the state Assembly that was dissolved last year. “As the General Secretary of a national party, I wish to visit Mohd Yousuf Tarigami (who I was informed, is not keeping good health) and other members of my party. I propose to reach Srinagar on the [August] 9th morning to meet them.”

Yechury said: “I hope the administration will not create any hurdles in discharging my responsibilities as a leader of my party.”

Communist Party of India leader D Raja wrote a similar letter to Malik, PTI reported. “As the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India, I wish to visit Srinagar to meet my party members and my party leaders,” he wrote. “I propose to reach Srinagar on August 9, 2019 morning to meet them. I hope that the administration will allow me to discharge my responsibilities as the General Secretary of my Party to reach out to my party people.”