Yechury to GoI: ‘If LS polls can be held in JK, why not assembly?’

New Delhi, Mar 12: CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday questioned the central government for not announcing the dates for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
“If Lok Sabha polls can be held in Jammu and Kashmir, why is security a problem for assembly polls in the state?” asked Yechury.
The CPI (M) general secretary raised the issue of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir during a discussion on Jammu and Kashmir at Aaj Tak security summit on Tuesday.
The Election Commission of India announced the dates for general election 2019 but did not announce the dates of assembly elections for Jammu and Kashmir.
The delay in the announcement of assembly polls has drawn severe criticism for the regional parties in the state.
Yechury said the central government needs to separate the people of Jammu and Kashmir from separatists if it intends to find a solution to the Kashmir issue.
He said: “Two things are required: confidence building measures and political process of dialogue with all stakeholders.”
Recounting the roadmap by all-party delegation to J&K, he said, that the parties had stressed on the need to initiate confidence-building measures and initiate dialogue with all stakeholders.
He said three years later, situation has changed on the ground, but the solutions remains the same.
Yechury added there should be no politicisation of action by the Indian Air Force.
“After Balakot airstrike, we stood united and applauded the Air Force. BJP’s Amit Shah started politicisation when he said that their government wasn’t like Congress,” the CPI (M) leader said.