Restoring Democracy: The Fight for Jammu and Kashmir's Statehood

Prakash Karat criticizes the BJP-led central government for undermining democracy and urges Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. He outlines the repercussions of the 2019 bifurcation and highlights the broader implications for India's democratic and federal structure.

In a pointed critique of the BJP-led central government, CPI(M) polit bureau coordinator Prakash Karat has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to honor his commitment to restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking at a two-day state conference in J&K, Karat condemned the central government's approach as detrimental to India's democracy and federal structure.

Karat stressed that the revocation of J&K's status in 2019 marked a significant assault on constitutional principles, democracy, and federalism. He asserted that downgrading J&K was not just a regional issue, but a national concern that endangers democratic frameworks countrywide, highlighting similar challenges faced by non-BJP-ruled states like Kerala and West Bengal.

Accusing the BJP and RSS of seeking to undermine democracy, Karat called for collective resistance against the central government's policies, including new labor codes, and announced plans for a national strike. He affirmed that the country's future depends on defending democracy, secularism, and federal structures against growing authoritarian tendencies.