Srinagar, In a united front, various political parties in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir have criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speech in Srinagar as insubstantial and more akin to electoral posturing, sidestepping critical regional concerns.
According to Kashmir Media Service, during his address at a staged public rally in Bakhshi Stadium, Modi’s remarks were perceived by local parties as lacking depth and failing to address the pivotal issues such as the restoration of democracy and statehood in the region. Leaders from the Congress, National Conference, People’s Democratic Party, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expressed their disillusionment, noting the speech’s failure to resonate with the region’s pressing needs or offer concrete solutions.
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah responded to Modi’s critique of dynastic politics, suggesting the need for a commission to unveil the region’s real conditions post the revocation of Article 370. The NC general secretary, Ali Mohammad Sagar, lamented the absence of discussions on key issues like the Kashmiri Pandit community’s return, criticizing the speech as a mere reiteration of previous promises and statistical manipulations.
The Congress’s local leadership echoed the sentiment of disappointment, highlighting the public’s expectation for meaningful dialogue on democracy restoration which was conspicuously absent from Modi’s address.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti articulated concerns over the forced participation of government employees at the rally, suggesting that such actions undermine the authenticity of the government’s narrative on Kashmir’s situation post-2019. She characterized the rally as an attempt to whitewash the contentious abrogation of Article 370, exacerbating the sense of disenfranchisement among Kashmiris.
CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami criticized the administration’s coercive tactics for rally attendance, predicting further estrangement among Kashmiri populace and a diminishment of their democratic rights.
The united stance of IIOJK’s political entities reflects a broader skepticism toward the central government’s approach to the region, underscoring a persistent demand for genuine engagement and resolution of longstanding grievances.