Srinagar, Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami, a notable leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), has voiced concerns over the ongoing resistance movement in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), attributing it to the continuous denial of democratic and human rights to the region’s inhabitants by India. His remarks come in the wake of widespread criticism of the Indian administration’s approach to handling dissent and political expression in the disputed territory.

According to Kashmir Media Service, during a media interaction in Srinagar, Tarigami expressed his disappointment with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speech in Srinagar, highlighting the coercive tactics allegedly employed by the IIOJK administration to ensure attendance at a rally organized by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He criticized the local administration’s efforts to facilitate the event, claiming that it compromised the region’s democratic integrity and individual freedoms.

Tarigami’s commentary shed light on the broader issues of political suppression and the absence of electoral processes in IIOJK, questioning why assembly elections have yet to be conducted. He called for the immediate restoration of all democratic rights to the people of the region, underscoring the necessity of legitimate political engagement and representation for resolving the longstanding conflict.