The ruling National Conference and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party held rival protests in Srinagar on Wednesday, with the BJP demonstrating against the Omar Abdullah-led government over governance issues while the NC protested against the BJP-led Centre over the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.
According to the Times of India, the BJP assembled at Ghanta Ghar in Lal Chowk and marched towards the Civil Secretariat, raising issues including unemployment, electricity tariffs, alleged corruption, recruitment and delays in holding local body elections. Police stopped the protesters from proceeding towards the Secretariat.
The National Conference, meanwhile, organised a counter-protest near Gindun Sports Complex in Rajbagh and sought to march towards the BJP office in Jawahar Nagar. The party demanded restoration of statehood, constitutional guarantees and fulfilment of commitments made by the Centre in Parliament and before the Supreme Court. Police stopped the NC march before it reached the BJP office.
Heavy security was deployed around Lal Chowk, Jawahar Nagar, Rajbagh and the Civil Secretariat. Roads leading to the BJP office were sealed, while entry points around Ghanta Ghar were restricted to vehicles.
BJP leaders accused the NC government of failing to address unemployment, power tariffs and other governance issues. Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Sat Sharma said the government should focus on development during the remainder of its term or step down.
The NC said its protest was aimed at seeking accountability from the Centre over its commitments to restore statehood and provide constitutional safeguards. NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said the party's demands also included measures relating to reservations and employment for young people.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti criticised the handling of the two protests, accusing the authorities of adopting “double standards” towards political parties. In a post on X, she said the police did not allow the PDP to hold peaceful protests on public issues while facilitating the NC and BJP demonstrations against each other. She questioned who authorised the restrictions and why the law was being applied differently to different parties.
PDP MLA Waheed Para separately described the NC-BJP protests as a “fixed match”, saying the two parties were playing to political audiences while unemployment and governance concerns persisted.
Comments (0)