The CPM on Saturday demanded early elections in Jammu and Kashmir, projecting it as the most appropriate way to tackle the deepening alienation among the people of the strife-torn state.
The demand comes a day after Union home minister Amit Shah’s “hawkish” response in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the extension of President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir when he also said that polls could be held by the year-end.
The CPM politburo said Shah’s intervention in Parliament was provocative and could lead to further alienation of the people of the state. “This is not healthy for India’s unity and integrity. Alienation only feeds growth of terrorism, which the country is unitedly determined to defeat,” the politburo said in a statement.
Given that Shah claimed an improvement in the law-and-order situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the CPM said there was no reason to prevent the holding of Assembly elections at the earliest.
The politburo took note of the fact that Shah did not meet the political parties of Jammu and Kashmir during his first visit to the state as Union home minister earlier this week. The CPM also called out Shah’s claim that only Jammu and Kashmir had a special provision — Article 370 of the Constitution.
“This is a travesty of Constitutional provisions. The Constitution provides special provisions for the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana), Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa (Articles 371, 371 (A) to (I)],” the politburo said.
