Srinagar, July 19 : The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee’s planned protest march demanding the restoration of full statehood to J&K was foiled by police today in Srinagar.
The peaceful procession, which was to be led by JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra, AICC General Secretary G.A. Mir and other senior leaders, was scheduled to march from the Congress party headquarters to the office of the Divisional Commissioner to submit a memorandum.
However, before the protest could begin, police locked the main gate of the Congress office, preventing party leaders and workers from stepping outside.
Speaking to reporters, Tariq Hameed Karra statwd that the administration had detained and restricted the movement of several Congress leaders and workers at various places to stop them from participating in the march.
The Congress party strongly condemned the move, calling it a violation of democratic rights and freedom of expression. The party maintained that their protest was to be peaceful and within democratic limits, meant to highlight the public demand for the restoration of J&K’s statehood.
Meanwhile, heavy security deployment was seen outside the Congress headquarters, with multiple police vehicles and personnel stationed in the area.
