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The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress' street protest over statehood foiled by L-G administration in Srinagar
The Congress on Saturday (July 19, 2025) accused the Lieutenant Governor administration of blocking their 'peaceful protests' in Srinagar over the restoration of 'full Statehood' to Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress leaders alleged the security forces blocked the gates of the Congress headquarters in Srinagar and allegedly detained several leaders, including elected legislators like Irfan Hafiz Lone, who were travelling from different districts to attend the protest rally. The Congress supporters were seen raising slogans 'Hamari Riyasat, Hamara Haq', 'Hamari Pehchan, Hamara Haq' and 'Hamara Pani, Hamara Haq' slogans, as they made a bid to march towards the city centre Lal Chowk. The bid, however, was foiled by the police manning the gates of the Congress office in Srinagar. 'The J&K Police halted our peaceful march, blocked us inside the office, where we were demanding the restoration of Statehood, a right unjustly taken from us,' J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra said. He described the police's move to restrict and detain the party leaders from joining the protest march as 'heavy-handed and undemocratic use of police power'. 'Our voices will not deter us. Statehood was promised on the floor of Parliament, and the Honourable Supreme Court directed its restoration. Yet, the L-G administration continues to obstruct our legitimate demand. We will not be silenced. Our resolve is stronger than ever, and no force can stop the people of Jammu and Kashmir from reclaiming what is rightfully ours,' Mr. Karra said. Referring to the recent joint letter written by Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Statehood demand, Mr. Karra said, 'We decided to intensify our ongoing movement in Srinagar and Jammu. As part of this intensification, we made the decision to launch a 'Chalo Srinagar, Chalo Jammu' campaign on July 19 in Srinagar and July 20 in Jammu. Following that, we gave a call for 'Chalo Delhi' on July 21, under which our senior leadership will go there to demand immediate restoration of statehood,' Mr. Karra said. He said the letter that Rahul ji and Kharge ji sent has the backing of not only 150 Congress members but also 233 members of INDIA alliance leaders. 'We will give our memorandum to the Divisional Commissioners in Srinagar and Jammu. They will hand it over to the Lieutenant Governor, and then the PM.' Senior Congress Leader and AICC General Secretary G.A. Mir, who also participated in the protest, said, 'Protest is our constitutional right. We wanted to protest against unconstitutional means to take our rights and downgrade J&K to a Union Territory. We had informed the administration about the memorandum to be handed over to the Divisional Commissioner. These restrictions will only intensify our protests. If they are stopping established leaders from protesting, one can imagine what they can do to the common man if they dare to protest,' Mr. Mir said. He said it's the responsibility of the Congress to raise the voice of the people. 'The dual power centre in J&K is impacting the ordinary citizens,' Mr. Mir added. Earlier on July 13, the L-G administration, which oversees the law and order, barred the regional leaders and the J&K government from holding a commemoration ceremony at the graveyard of the 22 civilians who died in an uprising against the Dogra ruler in 1931. On July 14, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was seen climbing the wall of the graveyard in an open defiance to the L-G orders.
United News of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Congress to hold protest in Srinagar for J&K statehood restoration
Srinagar, July 19 (UNI) Stepping up its campaign for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, the Congress is holding a protest march in Srinagar today—just days after party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging immediate action on the issue. The party said that J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra, along with AICC general secretary G.A. Mir and other senior leaders, will lead a peaceful procession around noon in Srinagar to reiterate the demand for the complete restoration of statehood to J&K. The march will start from Congress headquarters in Srinagar and culminate at the divisional commissioner's office, where senior party leaders will submit a memorandum to the Divisional Commissioner for onward submission to the Prime Minister through Lt Governor of J&K, a Congress spokesman said. The protest will not be limited to Srinagar, but Congress is planning to hold protests in Jammu, and a sit-in at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on July 22, a day after the Monsoon Session of Parliament begins. 'The campaign for the restoration of statehood has been ongoing for several months, and the joint letters from the party's top leadership have injected fresh momentum into the movement,' a senior leader said. Kharge and Rahul Gandhi's appeal to the Prime Minister to introduce legislation for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament has sparked a fresh wave of optimism among politicians in the region. Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its special status and downgraded to a Union Territory on August 5, 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370. Since then, political parties have consistently been demanding restoration of statehood. In a joint letter, the Congress leaders said that downgrading a state to a Union territory lacks precedent in independent India and reminded the Prime Minister of his promises of restoring J&K's statehood. The Prime Minister has "on multiple occasions, personally reiterated the government's commitment to restoring statehood," the letter read, pointing out at least two instances last year when PM Modi promised to restore the region's status. For the past five years, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have consistently called for the restoration of full statehood, the Congress leaders said, calling their demand both legitimate and firmly grounded in their constitutional and democratic rights. UNI MJR AAB
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress to organise protest at Parliament demanding Statehood for Jammu and Kashmir
The Congress on Thursday (July 17, 2025) announced it was intensifying its demand for the restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The J&K unit of the party threatened to 'symbolically gherao' the Parliament in New Delhi during the monsoon session. 'The J&K Congress will hold a protest in Kashmir on July 19, and in Jammu on July 20, so that our message on Statehood reaches the government. After that, we have the 'Chalo Delhi Chalo' campaign on July 21,' J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra said. The fresh Congress campaign comes a day after the Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, respectively, wrote a joint letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought restoration of Statehood. Mr. Karra urged the party's supporters to join the 'Chalo Delhi Chalo' campaign on July 21. 'The goal is to raise our voice in Delhi so that it reaches all Members of Parliament, among whom 233 are members of the INDIA (Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance) bloc supporting our cause. This is a significant step,' the Congress leader said.
