Don’t hold elections till normalcy restored: CPM

Tribune news Service

New Delhi, October 4

Stating that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was far from normal, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) today reiterated its demand for the restoration of communication, movement, civil liberties and release of all political prisoners and not to hold the Block Development Council (BDC) elections till the reinstallation of political activity.

“The CPM central committee member Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami was not granted permission to attend the meeting of the committee though the government claimed in the Supreme Court that he was not under detention. This showed that all claims made by the government that so-called normalcy existed in the valley was complete opposite of the ground realities,’’party general secretary Sitaram Yechury said at a press conference.

Terming the announcement of the BDC polls in such a situation as “travesty of justice”, the party said these were announced with the sole intention of portraying to the world that “normalcy” prevailed. Some 61 per cent of the seats of the panches and surpanches, who constituted the electoral college for the DBC elections, were lying vacant, he said.