BJP, NC lock horns on Srinagar streets; Police halt rival marches
Srinagar witnessed competing political protests on Wednesday as the BJP and National Conference mobilised workers against each other’s positions, with police halting both marches amid a heavy security cordon.
BJP leaders and workers gathered at Lal Chowk’s Ghanta Ghar to protest against the Omar Abdullah government, while NC cadres assembled at Gindun Park and sought to march towards the BJP headquarters demanding restoration of statehood.
The BJP targeted the Omar Abdullah government over unemployment, electricity tariff hikes, corruption and unfulfilled promises, while the NC staged a counter-protest demanding immediate restoration of statehood and constitutional safeguards for Jammu and Kashmir.
NC leaders alleged that the police prevented people from joining their protest.
NC wrote on X; “The NC’s peaceful protest was stopped from moving forward. People were prevented from joining, and elected representatives were mishandled. Yet, when the BJP held a protest outside the Secretariat, it was allowed to proceed. What a shame!”
“One protest was facilitated and allowed freely. The other, roughed up and restricted. Nothing will deter us from fighting for the people of J&K”, NC said.
Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Sunil Sharma said their protest was against the failures of NC. “Thousands of people from across Kashmir took to the streets raising their voice against unemployment, high power tariff, corruption, backdoor appointments and unfulfilled poll promises”
“Omar promised 200 units free electricity, no smart meters, 10 kg ration and one lakh jobs, but nothing has been done”, Sharma said.
Top BJP leaders of J&K, including the UT’s party president Sat Sharma, general secretary (organisation) Ashok Kaul and many others were present in the protest that started from the clock tower. They marched toward the Civil Secretariat. Simultaneously, NC cadres assembled at the Gindun park from where they marched towards the BJP headquarters, demanding the immediate restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees promised by the Union government.
Heavy police deployment was done across the city and security barricades halted both marches, both sides staged intense sit-in demonstrations across the city.
Since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 by the Narendra Modi-led Central government, which stripped the region of its special status and split the state into two Union Territories–Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh– the NC has remained resolute in its demand for a reversal of these constitutional changes. CM Omar Abdullah and NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah had recently led a protest in New Delhi against the BJP government’s delay in restoring statehood of J&K.