Caged within J-K, thrashed outside: PDP after police 'stop' march against attacks on Kashmiris

The People's Democratic Party on Saturday accused the Jammu and Kashmir Police of stopping its peaceful march in Srinagar following a protest at the party headquarters against the attacks on Kashmiris in other parts of the country.

Party chief Mehbooba Mufti alleged that Kashmiris are "caged" within the Union territory and "thrashed" outside.

The protesters assembled at the party headquarters near the Sher-e-Kashmir Park and held a demonstration.

They wanted to march outside towards the main road; however, they were stopped by the police, who locked the gates of the headquarters from the outside, party members said.

Speaking to reporters, PDP's Srinagar district president Abdul Qayoom Bhat said the party workers wanted to protest outside but were not allowed by the police.

"Those who attack people of Kashmir outside are roaming free, and those who want to protest peacefully and democratically against the attacks are stopped," he said.

Bhat said the people of Kashmir, including children, go outside to study or earn their livelihood, but they are attacked there and "the government is silent".

"Why are they assaulting the Kashmiris? Why are Omar Abdullah and the central government silent? We want these attacks to stop," the PDP leader added.

The protesters then dispersed peacefully.

Later, while reacting to the police allegedly not allowing the party workers to march outside the office, Mehbooba said, "Kashmiris are caged within J&K and thrashed when they step out to earn an honest livelihood".

"When a young Kashmiri shawl seller is almost beaten to death in Uttarakhand, no one comes to his rescue. But when the PDP attempts a peaceful protest against such atrocities, the entire police machinery is unleashed to crush the march," she said.

"When even survival is treated as a crime, where are Kashmiris supposed to go from here? Are they even allowed to exist in New India?" Mehbooba wrote on X.

There was no immediate reaction available from the Jammu and Kashmir Police to the allegations.