Congress leaders detained in Jammu as police foil street march for J&K Statehood
The Congress leaders faced off with the J&K police when they began a protest in Jammu's Gandhi Nagar area under their 'Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq (Our State, Our Rights)' campaign, with a 'Jammu Chalo' march on Sunday, and plans for a 'Delhi Chalo' march to gherao Parliament as well.
'In a blatant display of authority, the police under the control of the BJP and the Lieutenant Governor's administration arrested the party leaders,' a Congress spokesperson said.
'Undermines democracy'
The Congress accused the police of 'manhandling' Rajouri MLA Iftkhar Ahmed. 'The J&K police behaviour during the 'Jammu Chalo' march for Statehood restoration is utterly unacceptable. This kind of behaviour directed at an elected representative not only undermines democratic principles but also infringes upon the right to peaceful protest,' the Congress spokesperson said.
The party said it was imperative that authorities conduct a thorough investigation immediately, hold those responsible accountable, and reinforce democratic values to restore and maintain public trust in public institutions. 'Such actions cannot be endured in a healthy democracy,' the party spokesperson added.
'Undeclared emergency'
The J&K party chief, Mr. Karra, slammed the police action. 'The administration used undemocratic methods to foil our peaceful campaign, which has been going on for the past six months. Today's procession was in favour of our 'Chalo Chalo, Delhi Chalo' campaign. We will not be silenced or stopped,' he said.
'Our party's peaceful call for 'Jammu Chalo' to demand the restoration of statehood for Jammu & Kashmir was met with a massive show of force. Barricades, locked gates, and a protest site turned into a chawni (cantonment). Is this the new normal? An undeclared emergency where submitting a memorandum and protesting for our rights is treated as a crime?' he added.
The Congress leaders and workers were heading to the Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum on the restoration of Statehood when the police took action against them.
Raising issue in Parliament
'Did Prime Minister Narendra Modi lie on the floor of Parliament about granting statehood for J&K? If not, why has J&K Police arrested JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra ji and other Congress leaders? Why did they seal the PCC Office in Srinagar yesterday & stop our party workers from protesting peacefully for statehood?' Congress leader and MP K.C. Venugopal asked, in a post on X.
During the upcoming Parliament session, the INDIA bloc plans to raise the demand for immediate restoration of full statehood to J&K, Mr. Venugopal said. 'This farce cannot go on any longer,' he added.
The street protests by the Congress in J&K come days after the Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister demanding the restoration of Statehood to J&K, which was downgraded to a Union Territory and saw its special status scrapped in 2019.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Court sends Chaitanya Baghel, son of ex-Chhattisgarh CM, to judicial custody in liquor 'scam'
A special court in Raipur on Tuesday (July 22, 2025) remanded Chaitanya Baghel, son of senior Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, in a 14-day judicial custody in a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam. Mr. Chaitanya was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 18 following a search at his house which he shares with his father in Bhilai town of Durg district in the State. The accused was produced before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (VI) Damarudhar Chouhan on Tuesday on expiry of his ED custody, the central probe agency's counsel Saurabh Kumar Pande told reporters. During his custodial remand, Mr. Chaitanya was interrogated and confronted with statements and documents during which he conceded at many points. There was not much left for interrogation so the ED requested the court for his judicial custody, he said. The court sent him to jail in judicial custody till August 4, he added. If required, he can be questioned by the agency with the court's permission, he said. The ED claimed in a statement that Chaitanya "handled" more than ₹1,000 crore worth of "proceeds of crime" generated from a liquor "scam" in the State and used ₹16.7 crore for the development of his real estate project. "Chaitanya was in receipt of proceeds of crime worth Rs 16.70 crore. He had used his real estate firms to intermingle the said funds. It was found that he had utilised the said cash amount (proceeds of crime) in development of his real estate project," it said. His father Bhupesh Baghel has alleged that central agencies were being misused to target the opposition leaders, but stressed that he trusted the judiciary and would cooperate. The former CM has alleged that the ED action against his son was initiated to divert attention from the "illegal tree felling" for coal mines in the state as the Congress was set to raise the issue in the state assembly last week. The Congress on Tuesday staged "chakka jam" (road blockade) in different parts of the state to protest against the ED's action. The ED has said that the alleged scam resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with over ₹2,100 crore. The "scam" in the state, according to the ED, was orchestrated between 2019 and 2022 when Chhattisgarh was governed by the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government. In January, the ED arrested former Minister and Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma, besides Anwar Dhebar, former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer Arunpati Tripathi and some others as part of their investigations in the case. The EOW/ACB registered the FIR on January 17 last year, about a month after the BJP defeated the Congress in the 2023 assembly polls, and named 70 individuals and companies, including former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma and former chief secretary Vivek Dhand. According to the ED, the alleged commission generated through the illegal sale of liquor was shared "as per the directions from the highest political executives of the State".
Deccan Herald
an hour ago
- Deccan Herald
Silk sarees, gold for 'mangalsutra' for newlyweds if AIADMK wins 2026 elections, promises Palaniswami
Kumbakonam (Tamil Nadu): The AIADMK will provide silk sarees under its marriage assistance scheme to newlywed couples if voted to power in the 2026 Assembly election, party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said on with silk weavers, he said the party would also introduce schemes to improve their safety for girls in Tamil Nadu, claims AIADMK chief Palaniswami."We will do whatever we can to support silk handloom weavers in the state. Steps will be taken to provide silk sarees to newlywed brides, along with gold for the thaali (mangalsutra), under the marriage assistance scheme launched by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa," he responding to Chief Minister M K Stalin's remark that the "BJP would swallow the AIADMK", the leader of the opposition said, "Stalin says the BJP will swallow Palaniswami. Is Palaniswami a worm to be swallowed by a fish? You are the one swallowing your allies." During a roadshow in Thanjavur, he claimed that the Congress's presence in the state was diminishing, the Communists were disappearing, and another ally, the VCK, was clinging to the DMK.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Congress leader Lakshmana blames Centre for GST notice on petty traders in Karnataka
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson M. Lakshmana on Tuesday sought to lay the blame for small traders receiving notices from the Commercial Taxes Department at the Centre's doorstep by claiming that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) came under the purview of Union government. Even though Commercial Tax Department functioned under the State government, the notices had been issued in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Centre under the GST Act, which was brought into force in 2017, said Mr. Lakshmana while speaking to the presspersons outside the GST office in Mysuru on Tuesday. Extending the Congress party's support to the agitating small traders, Mr. Lakshmana accused the BJP of spreading misinformation on the notices issued by the Commercial Tax Department and blaming the Congress government. 'If you have any respect, you should clarify', he told BJP leaders. Citing Section 22 of the GST Act, Mr. Lakshmana said suppliers of goods are liable to be registered under the Act if their aggregate turnover crosses ₹40 lakh in a financial year. Recalling that the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had criticised GST in the Parliament and described it as 'Gabbar Singh Tax' as it provides for 'removing money from the pockets of the poor', Mr. Lakshmana regretted that people did not bother to listen to him when he pointed out that one item was being taxed multiple times under GST regime. He demanded a clarification with regard to the notices issued to small traders from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr. Lakshmana also took exception to the statement issued by Joint Commissioner of Commercial Taxes Meera Pandit that the traders can be given a reprieve only if the Centre and the State government come to a solution. Describing Ms. Pandit as an 'IRS officer, who is an employee of the Union government,' Mr. Lakshmana said the statement issued by her was 'misleading'. 'It is not our tax. It is Centre's tax', the KPCC spokesperson sought to clarify. Campaign against ED The Congress leaders gathered outside the office of Lokayukta Superintendent of Police in Mysuru on Tuesday and displayed 'Satyameva Jayate' placards claiming victory against the BJP's sustained campaign to foist a false case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his wife in the MUDA case. With regard to the critical remarks by the Supreme Court against 'misuse' of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) by the BJP in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case against Mr. Siddaramaiah's wife, Mr. Lakshmana said the Congress party is planning a campaign against ED. Claiming that the apex court's observations should bring 'shame' to an autonomous institution like ED, 'which had been misused by the BJP for its political purposes', Mr. Lakshmana said the Congress party will be devising a plan of action to create awareness among the general public about the misuse of ED by the BJP.
