Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 18: Expressing serious concern over the State Government’s demonstration of growing intolerance of peaceful public protests, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, CPI (M) State Secretary and MLA Kulgam today said the sadistic trend has already eroded the reputation of the Government and the same will have its impact on the credibility of State Legislative Assembly if the Government remains unmoved.
In his post Question Hour address, Tarigami said the recent police crackdown on peacefully protesting PDD casual labours and aspirants for the posts of jail warders is an ample proof for the level of incapacitation of an administration that has found a good refuge in a harsh police action.
Tarigami observed that instead of paying wages to the PDD daily wagers and fulfilling their legitimate demands and releasing their wages the police is yet to return their belongings that have been taken away from them.Three years have passed but the selection process of Jail Warders is yet to be complete.
“Instead of pacifying the peacefully agitating aspirants with some reasonable and logical arguments, the administration used brute force to quell them. Through the use of targeted brute force has antagonized almost every section and category of the society,” he added.
The CPI (M) leader observed that the right to organize peaceful protests is an inalienable right of the people in a democratic polity and denial of this basic democratic right is condemnable. He said the way right to peaceful protests is being stifled; it will only encourage the emergence of autocratic and violent forces in the society.
Tarigami observed that democratic process should not be deemed synonymous to an electioneering process only but the same means protection of constitutional guarantees of democratic rights which include civil liberties and right to peaceful protest as well.
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