Congress leaders detained in Jammu as police foil street march for J&K Statehood
The Congress leaders faced off with the J&K police when they began a protest in Jammu's Gandhi Nagar area under their 'Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq (Our State, Our Rights)' campaign, with a 'Jammu Chalo' march on Sunday, and plans for a 'Delhi Chalo' march to gherao Parliament as well.
'In a blatant display of authority, the police under the control of the BJP and the Lieutenant Governor's administration arrested the party leaders,' a Congress spokesperson said.
'Undermines democracy'
The Congress accused the police of 'manhandling' Rajouri MLA Iftkhar Ahmed. 'The J&K police behaviour during the 'Jammu Chalo' march for Statehood restoration is utterly unacceptable. This kind of behaviour directed at an elected representative not only undermines democratic principles but also infringes upon the right to peaceful protest,' the Congress spokesperson said.
The party said it was imperative that authorities conduct a thorough investigation immediately, hold those responsible accountable, and reinforce democratic values to restore and maintain public trust in public institutions. 'Such actions cannot be endured in a healthy democracy,' the party spokesperson added.
'Undeclared emergency'
The J&K party chief, Mr. Karra, slammed the police action. 'The administration used undemocratic methods to foil our peaceful campaign, which has been going on for the past six months. Today's procession was in favour of our 'Chalo Chalo, Delhi Chalo' campaign. We will not be silenced or stopped,' he said.
'Our party's peaceful call for 'Jammu Chalo' to demand the restoration of statehood for Jammu & Kashmir was met with a massive show of force. Barricades, locked gates, and a protest site turned into a chawni (cantonment). Is this the new normal? An undeclared emergency where submitting a memorandum and protesting for our rights is treated as a crime?' he added.
The Congress leaders and workers were heading to the Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum on the restoration of Statehood when the police took action against them.
Raising issue in Parliament
'Did Prime Minister Narendra Modi lie on the floor of Parliament about granting statehood for J&K? If not, why has J&K Police arrested JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra ji and other Congress leaders? Why did they seal the PCC Office in Srinagar yesterday & stop our party workers from protesting peacefully for statehood?' Congress leader and MP K.C. Venugopal asked, in a post on X.
During the upcoming Parliament session, the INDIA bloc plans to raise the demand for immediate restoration of full statehood to J&K, Mr. Venugopal said. 'This farce cannot go on any longer,' he added.
The street protests by the Congress in J&K come days after the Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister demanding the restoration of Statehood to J&K, which was downgraded to a Union Territory and saw its special status scrapped in 2019.
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