Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar saw heightened security on Wednesday morning as the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and National Conference (NC) held separate protests against each other.
The National Conference, led by chief minister Omar Abdullah, announced a march to the BJP office in the union territory to demand the restoration of statehood on Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, the BJP carried out a counter-protest, calling on the Abdullah-led government over the recent electricity price hike and youth unemployment.
What is NC's demand?
The National Conference has called for the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and accountability for the promises made by the Centre in Parliament and before the Supreme Court.
“The National Conference will peacefully gherao the BJP headquarters in Srinagar and Jammu tomorrow, demanding accountability for the promises made by the Union Government in Parliament and before the Supreme Court of India,” the party wrote in a statement on X.
{{/usCountry}}“The National Conference will peacefully gherao the BJP headquarters in Srinagar and Jammu tomorrow, demanding accountability for the promises made by the Union Government in Parliament and before the Supreme Court of India,” the party wrote in a statement on X.
{{/usCountry}}"Our demands are clear: Constitutional guarantees, restoration of statehood, clearance of the reservation file, and justice for the people of J&K. The mandate of the people of Jammu & Kashmir is not a blank cheque. It must be respected, not taken for granted," the NC added.
This protest comes after Omar Abdullah maintained that the JKNC will remain firmly committed to reversing all administrative and constitutional changes that stripped the region of its special rights and threatened its distinct identity on the anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 this year.
Amid the high security, the NC has alleged that its protest was stopped by the police, while the BJP was allowed to march to the Secretariat in Srinagar.
“The JKNC’s peaceful protest was stopped from moving forward. People were prevented from joining, and elected representatives were mishandled. Yet, when the BJP held a protest outside the Secretariat, it was allowed to proceed,” the party wrote on X.
Why is the BJP also protesting?
Slamming the NC's move to protest for statehood, the Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Sunil Kumar Sharma, stated that the BJP will also carry out a protest and raise issues of the people across the union territory.
"The BJP decided to hold a protest to raise issues concerning the common people of Jammu & Kashmir--a decision announced a month ago. The primary focus of this protest is jobs for the youth. Meanwhile, the National Conference has suddenly decided today that it, too, will stage a protest. Just look at their timing. Look at how serious they are about the youth. They had sold off 25,000 jobs to contractors," said Sharma.
A spokesperson for the J&K unit of the BJP added that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir deserve jobs and transparency in the appointments.
(With inputs from ANI,PTI)