Srinagar, July 20 (KNS): Senior CPI(M) leader and MLA Kulgam on Monday expressed full support to the dharna in New Delhi led by the National Conference, in which Left parties, independent legislators and leaders of various political parties from Jammu and Kashmir are participating to press for the restoration of full statehood.

Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, the CPI(M) leader said the purpose of the protest is to remind the Government of India to fulfil its repeated assurances regarding the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. He said these assurances have been given on several occasions by the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister, both on the floor of Parliament and at public gatherings.

Questioning the delay in implementing the commitment, he said, "Why is there hesitation in honouring these commitments? We are not asking for the sky. We are simply seeking that the solemn commitments for restoration of statehood be honoured in both letter and spirit."

He asserted that the restoration of full statehood is neither a concession nor a favour but "a constitutional obligation and a matter of democratic accountability," urging the Government of India to translate its repeated assurances into concrete action without any further delay.

Referring to the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019, the CPI(M) leader described the abrogation of Article 370 as "undemocratic, unconstitutional and a blatant assault on the assurances given by the Indian leadership in 1947." He said that despite the massive participation of people in the 2024 Assembly elections, their aspirations for the restoration of statehood remain unfulfilled.

Recalling the all-party meeting on Jammu and Kashmir held in New Delhi in June 2021, he said the Union Home Minister had assured political leaders that full statehood would be restored after the completion of the delimitation process and Assembly elections. However, he said, that assurance remains unfulfilled despite more than one-and-a-half years having passed since the formation of the elected government following the Assembly elections.

He further said that before the 2024 Assembly elections, the Prime Minister had also assured leaders from across political parties that the restoration of statehood would follow the elections, but that commitment too remains pending.

According to the CPI(M) leader, the overwhelming participation of people in the electoral process reflected their faith in democracy, and the Government should have reciprocated by honouring its promise.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelHe also referred to the proceedings before the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court during the hearing on the abrogation of Article 370, stating that the Solicitor General, representing the Government of India, had assured the Court that full statehood would be restored.

He said the Government's repeated claims of the restoration of peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 do not fully correspond with the realities on the ground.

Highlighting the need to bridge the trust deficit, the CPI(M) leader said lasting peace and normalcy can only be achieved by taking the people of Jammu and Kashmir into confidence and through meaningful engagement with stakeholders.

He said it is in this backdrop that political parties led by the National Conference, along with Left parties and Independent legislators, have assembled in New Delhi on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament to hold a peaceful dharna.

He said the objective of the protest is to remind the Government of India of its commitment to restore full statehood and to make people across the country aware of the aspirations and concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The CPI(M) leader also said that CPI(M) General Secretary Comrade M.A. Baby and CPI(M) Jammu and Kashmir State Secretary Mohd. Abass Rather are participating in the protest.

He maintained that there is a rare consensus among political parties across ideological and political lines on the demand for the restoration of full statehood, adding that this collective voice deserves to be respected.

"We are not asking for the stars; we are only seeking the restoration of our constitutional and democratic rights—rights that have been repeatedly promised by the highest constitutional functionaries of the Government of India," he said.

The CPI(M) leader also drew attention to the treatment of education reformer and environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has expressed solidarity with students protesting at Jantar Mantar over the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister. He said such developments raise serious concerns about the democratic space available for peaceful expression. (KNS)