STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: A massive protest organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) on Sunday witnessed the detention of over 200 party leaders and workers, including top brass like JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra, AICC General Secretary G.A. Mir, and Working President Raman Bhalla.
The protest march, held from Shaheedi Chowk towards Raj Bhawan, was part of the party’s ongoing campaign for the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir under the slogan “Hamari Riyasat, Hamara Haq.”As the protest began from the Congress headquarters, a large number of leaders and workers attempted to march through Residency Road and Raghunath Bazar. However, heavy police deployment stopped the protestors at Shaheedi Chowk. A scuffle broke out as protestors tried to cross barricades. Several managed to breach the blockade before being detained by police and taken to District Police Lines (DPL) Jammu.While most of the protestors were rounded up near the protest site, PCC Chief Karra and a few others advanced further into Raghunath Bazar before also being detained. Other senior leaders, including Ch. Lal Singh, Shah Nawaz Choudhary, Neeraj Kundan, Mula Ram, Th. Balwan Singh, Ravinder Sharma, Indu Pawar, Th. Hari Singh Chib, and several former MLAs, MLCs, DCC presidents, ex-corporators, and Mahila Congress leaders, were among those taken into preventive custody. Addressing reporters before his detention, Karra slammed the central government for “delaying and denying” the promise of statehood, which, he said, was reiterated by the Centre and backed by the Supreme Court. “Congress will continue to fight for the identity, rights, and land of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Karra said, adding that Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have also raised the issue nationally.AICC General Secretary G.A. Mir echoed similar concerns, accusing the Centre of betraying its promise over the last six years and thanked party leadership for supporting the statehood demand ahead of the Parliament’s monsoon session.Karra announced that the party will proceed with its scheduled Delhi Chalo call on Monday afternoon. Congress leaders and workers will travel to Delhi to stage a peaceful protest outside Parliament in support of the demand for full statehood.The Congress also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister via the Lieutenant Governor, reiterating their stand on statehood restoration..
