If Modi govt talks of restoring J&K statehood, why not special status: D Raja

CPI leader D Raja said that parties in J&K coming together could be a big challenge for the central government. After the nullification of Article 370, many political leaders were put under house arrest since August 5 last year.

New Delhi: Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja on Friday said that if Narendra Modi government can talk of restoring statehood of J&K, "the government can restore special status as well".

"Everything is possible if the government believes in democracy. Govt can't think at gunpoint that they can resolve the issue and suppress people's movement," said Raja in an exclusive interview to ETV Bharat.

A day after different political parties in J&K formed People's Alliance, Raja said, "restoration of special status all depends up in the way, the parties are going to work."

He said that the alliance which has been formed to restore Article 370 in J&K, will work to mobilise people in J&K.

Read:D Raja demands immediate release of detained J&K leaders

"Nobody can take people for granted. When the J&K legislation was debated in Parliament our party opposed it. Abrogation of Article 370 was an unconstitutional act on the part of the NDA government. It was also an assault on the federalism of the country," said Raja.

But despite all these, the Modi government went ahead to abrogate Article 370, he said.

"The issue was not debated in the Assembly and it was dissolved and separated into two Union Territories. Many leaders have been put into prison and many kept under house arrest," he said.

Raja was optimistic that the mainstream political parties that came together will reach to the people of J&K and Ladakh.

It may be mentioned here that all the signatories of the Gupkar declaration of August 4, 2019, have come together and formed the People's Alliance.

"The parties will reach out to the people and mobilise the issue. We will monitor, how does the Modi Government address the concern of the people of J&K," Raja said.

He said that parties in J&K coming together could be a big challenge for the central government.

When asked on the decrease of terror-related incidents in J&K, Raja said that it's a claim of the government to hoodwink the people.

"There is no free movement. There is no communication network..how can the government claim that normalcy has returned in J&K," added Raja.