Alleging the Jammu and Kashmir government for being intolerant towards peaceful public protests, state CPI (M) today said that it was denial of the basic democratic right.
CPI (M) state secretary and Kulgam MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami today said the sadistic trend has already eroded the reputation of the government and the same will have its impact on the credibility of state Legislative Assembly if the government remains unmoved.
Addressing after Question Hour in the state Assembly, Tarigami said that the recent police crackdown on peacefully protesting Power Development Department's casual labourers and aspirants for the posts of jail warders is an ample proof for the level of incapacitation of the administration.
Tarigami observed that instead of paying wages to the PDD daily wagers and fulfilling their legitimate demands, the police is yet to return their belongings that have been taken away from them. Three years have been passed but the selection process of jail warders is yet to be complete, he said.
"Instead of pacifying the peacefully agitating aspirants with some reasonable and logical arguments, the administration used brute force to quell them. Through the use of targeted brute force has antagonised almost every section and category of the society," he added.
The CPI (M) leader observed that the right to organise peaceful protests is an inalienable right of the people in a democratic polity and denial of this basic democratic right is condemnable.
He said the way right to peaceful protests is being stifled; it will only encourage the emergence of autocratic and violent forces in the society.
Tarigami observed that democratic process should not be deemed synonymous to an electioneering process only but the same means protection of constitutional guarantees of democratic rights which include civil liberties and right to peaceful protest as well.
