All secular forces must unite to press for restoration of statehood: CPM

Tarigami, who won the Assembly elections from Kulgam seat for the fifth consecutive term, called for respecting the people’s mandate and said “otherwise it will have serious consequences”.

“We want democracy to prosper in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said and claimed that the Centre was in no mood to restore the statehood.

“We appeal to all secular parties to come together and support us. This is not a question of one region or one community but the people of entire J&K and the people of Ladakh which was separated from us,” Tarigami said.

In an apparent reference to banned Jamaat-e-Islami joining the election fray in Kashmir, he said the use of “anti-national” elements could not help the ruling party at the Centre to win the elections.

Tarigami defeated the Jamaat candidate to retain his seat.

On the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state in August 2019, he said that his party took a stand and termed the development as “betrayal with the people of J&K” and also cautioned the country that “this poison will spread”.

“The people of the country should not fall prey to the propaganda that Article 370 was responsible for eruption of militancy and the state subject laws were a hurdle….” he said, adding Jammu and Kashmir stood as an example of communal harmony when there was bloodshed in the wake of partition.

He appealed to the people of Jammu not to get swayed by the “false propaganda” of the BJP in the name of development and nationalism and said, “It was Maharaja who introduced the state subject laws in 1927 to protect land and jobs for the locals.”

“Nation is formed by its people and is not the name of mountains and streams. People in J&K and Ladakh are not happy, unemployment is highest and the stopping of darbar move has hit the economy of Jammu,” added the CPI(M) leader. — PTI