‘Permission or restrictions!’: J&K Congress objects to administration’s letter on holding party meet

Jammu, Feb 18 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) on Tuesday took serious note of the terms and conditions of the permission granted for holding a party convention in Kishtwar district.

The district administration granted permission for the convention but said it was not allowing participants to carry out a rally. It added that no one should speak against the Constitution or the “positive initiative of the administration for bringing transparency and accountability”.

Congress has been holding district-level conventions since February 15 as part of its 15-day campaign to press for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir besides generating awareness among the masses for safeguarding the constitutional values in the country. They are holding the convention in Kishtwar on Wednesday.

PCC chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma shared the letter signed by additional district magistrate, Kishtwar on ‘X’ in response to a communication by Congress’s district president Mohd Asif Naqeeb seeking permission to hold the convention.

“Ahead of convention for restoration of statehood in Kishtwar tomorrow, is it permission or restrictions? This vindicates our mission Jai Bapu Jai Bhim Jai Samvidhan,” Sharma wrote on X.

While granting permission to hold an indoor meeting of workers at TRC Kishtwar, the district administration listed a set of conditions.

“No person shall speak against the constitution and positive initiative of the administration for bringing transparency and accountability,” the additional district magistrate wrote.

The letter asked the organiser to ensure proper use of “silencers so as to restrain noise pollution”.

Participants will not give “proactive speech or (raise) slogans or (display) objectionable placards, banners, or posters that may “hurt the sentiment of any community, group or class” and may lead to any law and order problem.

“In case of any untoward incident during the workers meeting, the concerned organiser shall be held responsible for the same. That the organizers shall ensure that neither the pedestrians nor the traffic movement get affected,” the letter said.

The letter also asked the organisers to ensure that none of the participants are in possession of any kind of weapon or are inebriated.

It also said that the district administration reserves the right to cancel permission at any stage.

The Congress’s convention in Kishtwar is to be addressed by PCC president Tariq Hameed Karra and other senior leaders.