No sign of normalcy in Kashmir: Yechury

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday termed as "preposterous", Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that the turnout in the recently held Block Development Council (BDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir was an indication of the region's faith in democracy.

Yechury said this is no sign of "normalcy" and the prime minister is resorting to "falsehoods and propaganda".

Modi on Friday said the peaceful BDC elections in Jammu, Kashmir, Leh and Ladakh showed the people's unwavering faith in democracy and the importance they accord to grassroots level governance.

"PM Modi's claim that the recently held Block Development Council (BDC) elections in J&K is people's acceptance of government's action of scrapping Article 370 is preposterous," tweeted Yechury.

He further said that it was not the people who voted directly in the BDC election, but an electoral college of around 27,000 'panchs' and 'Sarpanchs' whose election saw a "very low turnout."

"This is no sign of 'normalcy.' Independents won 217 and BJP only 81, mainly from Jammu. Modi, as usual, is resorting to falsehoods and propaganda," he said.

The prime minister had said, "I once again congratulate MPs across party lines for the historic decisions on J&K. It would make India's Parliament proud that due to their historic decision in August this year, the people of J&K have been able to exercise their democratic right with exceptional enthusiasm, as seen in the historic turnout of 98% that too without violence or disturbance."