Jammu, Dec 18: The Congress Party staged strong protests in Jammu and Srinagar on Wednesday as part of a nationwide campaign against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the delayed restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, alleged corruption involving Gautam Adani and the “lack of peace” in the union territory.
In Jammu, Congress workers attempted to march towards the Governor’s House but were thwarted by heavy police deployment. Similarly, in Srinagar, police prevented the party workers from marching to the Raj Bhavan, confining them to the premises of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) headquarters on MA Road.
“We planned to march to the Raj Bhavan, but the administration used police to stop us. We were not even allowed to cross the gate of our party office,” a Congress leader told reporters in Srinagar.
The protesters alleged involvement of Gautam Adani in a big scam, including irregularities in the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited. They demanded the constitution of a joint parliamentary committee to probe Adani’s dealings.
In Jammu, J&K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra led the protest, demanding restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Hundreds of Congress workers, including former ministers, legislators, and senior leaders, gathered at the party headquarters at Shaheedi Chowk for the march to the Raj Bhavan.
However, the police erected barbed-wire barricades on Residency Road to prevent protesters from advancing toward the governor’s residence. “We held this protest as part of a nationwide campaign to bring attention to issues like the Gautam Adani episode, the violence in Manipur, and the delayed statehood for J&K. Despite our peaceful approach, police blocked our march,” Karra said.
He criticised the administration for its “high-handedness” in suppressing peaceful protests and reaffirmed the Congress Party’s commitment to continuing its fight for the restoration of statehood.
“The BJP government has failed to fulfill its promise of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. This is a right that belongs to the people of this region, and we will not stop until it is restored,” Karra said.
The Congress leaders also expressed concerns over governance and peace in the Union Territory, accusing the BJP of failing to address key regional issues. “The delay in restoring statehood has deprived the people of their democratic rights, and we will keep protesting until justice is delivered,” Karra added.
