Srinagar
Stating that to vote was important to defend the identity and special status of people of Jammu and Kashmir in terms of Article 370 and Article 35A, CPI (M) State Secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik on Monday in a statement urged the voters to contribute in the process of evicting disastrous, authoritarian and communal government led by Narendra Modi.
“It is foremost duty of all citizens of Jammu and Kashmir to vote to defeat the mischief-monger BJP on the floor of the Parliament. For that people should come out and vote in favour of those who are trusted and capable of defending the interests of Jammu and Kashmir. The ongoing Lok Sabha election is very important in the prevailing situation,” said CPI (M) State Secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik in a statement.
“In today’s circumstances, CPI (M) believes that National Conference candidates from Srinagar and Anantnag Lok Sabha constituencies deserve to be supported,” he said.
“Jammu and Kashmir is under huge crisis as except death and destruction nothing happened in the state for the last five years. Like the rest of the country, the BJP polarized J&K also for its petty electoral gains. Violence has increased manifold while the social fabric of the state is in tatters,” said CPI (M) leader in a statement.
He said the prevailing unprecedented crisis is the result of erroneous and faulty policies of Modi government and an unprincipled alliance of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with the BJP in 2015. Despite the use of all measures of force, the alienation has only increased on the ground. In 2014, we witnessed massive voter participation in both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The real issue is that on the political and governance fronts, the PDP-BJP alliance failed to deliver on its promises, and the much-hyped “Agenda of Alliance” proved to be a mere hoax.
“The anger and alienation in Kashmiri people has got exacerbated, the security situation has deteriorated, and a stark communal polarisation has been created not only between the Jammu and Kashmir regions but also between the two large communities in the State,” he added.
“The economy is in shambles, as the prices of essential commodities and fuel have gone through the roof. The Rupee is at an all-time low, manufacturing and exports have declined, corruption is at its peak, jobs are harder to get and criticism of the PM even on social media is enough to land one in jail. BJP has been exposed and unmasked,” said the CPI (M) State Secretary.
“Demonetization and implementation of GST resulted in devastating the livelihood of millions of people across the country. Implementation of GST in J&K virtually eroded the fiscal flexibility of our state. It was a big blow to whatever little autonomy was left for the state,” he said.
CPI (M) stands for a political solution to Kashmir problem based on maximum autonomy for the state based on the full scope of Article 370 of the Constitution; autonomous set-up to be created with the regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh being given regional autonomy; oppose all the attempts to remove or review Article 35 (A) of the Constitution.
“Strong steps to be taken to prevent excesses by security forces against innocent people; ban the use of pellet guns and other lethal weapons on protesters,” he added.
“Initiating Confidence Building Measures in Kashmir, by talking to all sections of the society and acting upon their genuine grievances,” he said.
“Ensure economic development of the state, focusing particularly on generating employment for the youth and reconstructing the damaged infrastructure,” CPI (M) State Secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik said.
