PDP women’s wing protests against proposed tariff hike

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) women wing was prevented from holding a protest against the proposed power tariff hike in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The party women’s wing had planned to demonstrate during peak hours; however, police did not allow workers to leave the party headquarters near Sher-e-Kashmir Municipal Park in Srinagar, officials said.

Taking to social media, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said that peaceful voices were being suppressed in the name of maintaining law and order.

“The J&K Police stopping PDPs Women Wing from holding a peaceful protest against the crushing rise in power tariffs is yet another continuation of the assault on our democratic rights since 2019. When even the most peaceful voices are throttled under the pretext of law and order it sends a chilling message that our pain is irrelevant, that our rights are expendable, and that speaking up now carries an unfair cost,” Mufti posted on X.

She said such actions were pushing Kashmiris against the wall and denying them their right to be heard.

“This constant silencing is pushing Kashmiris to the wall suffocating our hopes and even our basic demand to be heard. Such relentless suppression leaves deep wounds on an entire community and fosters an overwhelming sense of collective punishment,” she added.