Killing of migrant labourers in JK fallout of Article 370 decision: Karat

Condemning the killing of five migrant labourers in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam, CPI(M) politburo member Prakash Karat on Wednesday alleged that such terror activities are a fallout of the situation created by the Centre's move to abrogate Article 370 that gave special status to the state.

Karat was speaking to reporters after addressing a public meeting at the Jawaharlal Nehru University organised by students' union against the BJP government's decision on J&K.

The event saw protest by RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad against the acquittal of three accused in the alleged sexual assault and murder of two young sisters in 2017 in the Left-ruled Kerala's Palakkad.

They raised slogans against Karat and and other speakers which included senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, Politburo member of CPIML Kavita Krishnan and activist Annie Raja.

The protesters also burnt an effigy of the Kerala government and questioned its "silence" on the acquittal.

The public meeting continued despite the protest.

Five labourers from Murshidabad district of West Bengal were shot dead by terrorists in south Kashmir on Tuesday and another labourer was critically injured.

Asked about the killing, Karat said migrant labourers were not subjected to such hatred before in the state.

"It shows that a very dangerous situation has developed since the Modi government has abolished the state of Jammu and Kashmir and suppressed all civil liberties and democracy," he told reporters.

"It is a fallout of the Centre's move to abolish the state of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

"It (the Abrogation of Article 370 provisions) has created a situation for terrorist type of attacks and this cycle of State repression and violence and counter violence is going to be very harmful for Kashmir and the country," he added.

He said they oppose the abrogation of Article 370 provisions for Jammu and Kashmir and feel an "injustice" has been done to the people.

Karat also said the European Union MPs who visited Jammu and Kashmir were "right wing" and everyone knows they are "anti-Islam and anti-Jews".

Krishnan echoed Karat's views and said everyone is making fun of the government's move to invite European Union MPs.

Meanwhile, replying to a question, Bhushan criticised the Supreme Court for allegedly being slow on habeas corpus.

Three men were acquitted last week in a case where a 13-year-old girl's body was found hanging at her home in Palakkad district of Kerala on January 13, 2017, while her sister (9) was found dead in the same way at the same spot on March 4 that year.

The postmortem report of the younger sister showed she was sexually abuses. And the police had said that even the elder sister was sexually abused.