Police detain Cong activists amid march for statehood in Jammu

Several Congress leaders and workers were detained in Jammu on Sunday during a protest march demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

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This was the second consecutive day that police thwarted Congress rallies under the banner of ‘Hamari Riyasat, Hamara Haq’. On Saturday, a similar protest march by Congress leaders was stopped in Srinagar.

Hundreds of Congress activists, led by senior leader Tariq Hameed Karra and party general secretary GA Mir, assembled at the party headquarters at Shaheedi Chowk in the heart of Jammu. The protesters intended to march to the Raj Bhawan to submit a memorandum to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha but were prevented from proceeding due to heavy police barricades. Mir was among those detained.

Condemning the police action, Karra said, “By this action, the authorities have shown their frustration and their mentality of not believing in democratic principles or respecting the people’s voice. We were not on the streets to create unrest, but to peacefully submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Lieutenant Governor, highlighting the people’s demand for statehood.”

He asserted that such actions would not deter the Congress party. “The Congress will not be cowed down by these tactics but will further strengthen its resolve to fight for people’s rights,” Karra said.

Referring to upcoming plans, Karra added, “Despite the police action in Srinagar and Jammu, our party will go ahead with the ‘Delhi Chalo’ programme on Monday to gherao Parliament on the first day of the Monsoon Session. We will try to surround Parliament to wake up this deaf, blind, and insensitive government, demanding immediate restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.”

He further claimed that the entire INDIA bloc stands united in support of this demand.

Congress general secretary GA Mir said, “This was a commitment made by the Prime Minister. It has been 10 months since the Lok Sabha elections, yet statehood has not been restored. Modi should fulfill his promise.”