Senior CPI(M) leader M. Y. Tarigami on Friday criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on the Kashmir situation and said Panchayat Raj institutions could not be a substitute to the State Assembly.
“The Home Minister’s assertions regarding holding of panchayat elections in J&K are in deep contrast to the facts. The panchayat elections were earlier conducted in 2001, 2011 and 2018,” Mr. Tarigami said.
He was referring to the speech made by Mr. Shah during his virtual address to the Kashmir Mahotsav organised by the Indian Institute of Sustainability, Gujarat University.
Mr. Tarigami said the Panchayat Raj Institutions could not be a substitute for the Assemblies, which were the only representative bodies in the States and Union Territories empowered to legislate on public issues.
“The legislature remains the crucial pillar of democracy in federal structure, but unfortunately the GOI (Government of India) has virtually demolished this pillar in Jammu and Kashmir. Even after completing the so-called delimitation process and revision of electorate, the government has no temerity to hold the Assembly elections,” Mr. Tarigami said.
“It is very unfortunate that the Home Minister has ignored the ballooning youth unemployment while trumpeting about the start-up ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
He said the unemployment rate in the region had touched a staggering 21.8%, which was the highest in the entire country. “There is nothing for the Central dispensation or Home Minister that needs to be shouted from the rooftops,” he added.
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