Prakash Karat laments India being denied access to Headley

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat today lamented that India had been denied direct access to Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley despite his role being proved in the Mumbai terror attack and said the country should have taken up the issue with US authorities.

"When Azmal Kasab was arrested, the FBI was given an opportunity to interrogate him but despite David Headley's role having been proved in the Mumbai terror attack the Indian team was not given permission for interrogating him", Karat said talking to newspersons here today.

Emphasising on "mutually reciprocal" relations between India and the US, the CPM leader said, "The government should have taken a stand on the issue and applied enough pressure on the US to gain access to Headley".