M.Y. Tarigami, J&K CPI(M) secretary and MLA, on Tuesday described the NIA’s move to go after the family of Syed Salahuddin ahead of the formal talks in J&K “a bad move.”
“The NIA raids were not wise enough. It’s not easy for the Hurriyat to take a call. Any results of the fresh dialogue offer require seriousness…There have not been good experiences [on talks] in the past too,” Mr. Tarigami told The Hindu . He alleged the Centre’s response to the PDP stand, especially on dialogues, “so far has been inappropriate”.
“We know for sure how Prime Minister Narendra Modi rebuffed former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed when he mentioned Pakistan in his speech in Srinagar,” he said.
Welcoming the dialogue offer, Mr. Tarigami said, “It’s not just the United States’ pressure but internally also there is opposition to Mr. Modi’s Kashmir policy. Not everything is overtaken by a particular segment. There are segments in the Indian mainstream that is factor in the Centre’s new approach.”
Meanwhile, he said the J&K’s Public Property (Prevention of Damage) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, making violent protests punishable, “will trample the legitimate democratic rights of people.”
“Such laws have always been misused in the past. There are already enough laws in place to deal with law and order situations. If such laws are passed, it has the potential of creating erosion of the genuine rights of people. All this could have far-reaching implications,” warned Mr. Tarigami.
