Yechury laments Article 370 and electoral bond pleas are pending with apex court

“Unemployment is perhaps the worst in history. The economic attacks on the people—hunger, unemployment, price rise… Look at indices around the world, India is down on all those parameters. It means that India’s situation is declining very fast—global hunger index, global freedom index, press freedom index,” he said after the party’s state conference, adding that “we are an electoral autocracy, not a democracy”.

Speaking about the situation in Kashmir, Yechury said that it was regrettable that petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A remain pending with the Supreme Court. “The more time the Supreme Court takes to hear these petitions, the more time the government has to implement it (the J&K Reorganisation Act) de facto,” he said.

He said that it was because of this delay, that changes to land laws and the delimitation exercise were being carried out.

“Our understanding is that till the fundamental question of whether the abrogation of Article 370 is constitutionally valid or invalid, such laws be put on hold. By not doing so, a fait accompli is being provided. If the matter is heard after that, even if it (court) states that it is wrong, it would be difficult to repeal these changes. So we request the Supreme Court to hear the matter at the earliest.”

At the conference, the party reiterated its stance that Jammu & Kashmir is a part of India. However, Yechury said “there should be a complete—100 per cent—implementation of those promises and assurances, the basis on which the state acceded to India”. “The discontent and alienation you are creating is not in the interests of our country. There is a need to correct it,” he added.

The CPM chief alleged that while the central government drew legitimacy from electoral victories, political corruption had been legitimised for those victories. “A petition against electoral bonds has also been lying in the Supreme Court for the past three years. The BJP has made billions from electoral bonds and they use that money in elections. So where is the level playing field? You totally distort the concept of a level playing field and free and fair elections. In this scenario, it is important that all the secular powers unite to save the country and the Constitution,” he said.

The state conference adopted a resolution listing the difficulties of the people of the region and resolving to fight for their “legitimate constitutional rights”.