Police thwart Congress’ march to Raj Bhavan in Srinagar, Jammu

Srinagar/Jammu, Dec 18 (PTI) Police on Wednesday prevented Congress workers from marching to the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar and Jammu as part of a nationwide demonstration to highlight several issues, including BJP’s policy to “defend” Gautam Adani, its “utter failure” to maintain peace in Manipur, and restoration of statehooh to J-K.

In Srinagar, the Congress workers assembled at the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) headquarters on MA Road, but as soon they tried to move towards the Raj Bhavan, police closed the gate of the party office, thus confining them inside, officials said.

Congress leaders told reporters the protest was against BJP’s policy to “defend” billionaire industrialist Adani and his associates, besides its “utter failure” to maintain peace in Manipur, which continues to witness bloodshed.

“We planned to march to the Raj Bhavan, but the administration used police to stop us. We were not allowed to cross the gate (of the party office),” a Congress leader told reporters.

“We want Adani be arrested because he is involved in a huge scam even in the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited,” he alleged.

The Congress workers also demanded the constitution of a joint committee of Parliament to probe Adani’s dealings.

In Jammu, J-K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra led the protest aimed to draw attention to the delay in restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, among other issues.

Hundreds of Congress workers, including former ministers, legislators and senior leaders, gathered at the party headquarters at Shaheedi Chowk for the march to Raj Bhavan.

However, police erected barbed-wire barricades on Residency Road as a preventive measure, stopping the protesters from reaching the governor’s house, officials said.

“We held the protest as part of a nationwide campaign to highlight issues like the Gautam Adani episode, the violence in Manipur, and the demand for statehood. We intended to protest at the Raj Bhavan, but police stopped us (from reaching there),” Karra told reporters.

He also criticised the administration for what he described as police high-handedness in suppressing even peaceful protests.

“Our protest was aimed at highlighting the delay in restoring statehood to the region. We were not allowed to march towards Raj Bhawan, so we decided to call off the protest on Residency Road,” Karra said.

“We will continue our fight for the restoration of statehood, which is our right. The BJP government has denied this despite promising it to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.