By Tehelka Web Desk
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged separate protests in Srinagar on Wednesday, with the NC demanding restoration of statehood and constitutional safeguards, while the BJP targeted the NC-led government over what it described as failures on governance and employment.
The NC held a protest march towards the BJP headquarters, with its workers raising slogans and carrying placards demanding restoration of J&K’s statehood and constitutional guarantees.
NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said the protest was aimed at reminding the BJP-led central government of commitments made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We only want to remind the BJP leadership in Delhi that the promises you made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir must be fulfilled. The time has now come,” Sadiq told reporters on the sidelines of the protest.
He said the march was directed at the BJP’s central leadership and not its local unit in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We have nothing against the BJP’s local leadership. We want to remind Prime Minister Modi and the central leadership of the commitments made before the Supreme Court. We have come here to seek fulfilment of those promises,” he said.
Sadiq said the NC was also seeking constitutional safeguards, reservation for youth and action on employment-related issues.
“It is not only about constitutional guarantees and special status, but also about statehood and reservation for our children. Something must be done for the youth today,” MLA Sadiq added.
The BJP, meanwhile, staged a protest at Lal Chowk and marched towards the Civil Secretariat, accusing the Omar Abdullah-led government of failing to address issues concerning electricity, water, roads and unemployment.
Leader of Opposition in the J&K Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma said the protests reflected public anger against the government.
“This is a reflection of the failures of the government, which you are seeing on the streets today. Those who are yearning for electricity and water, those who are yearning for roads, those who are yearning for a job, especially young people, those young people are told that today they will not get a job from PSC or SSRB,” Sharma said.
He also alleged that the government had failed to provide adequate employment opportunities and criticised the increase in electricity tariffs.
“On top of that, the government has increased the electricity tariff and has put a burden on the poor. People are angry, that is why they are on the streets,” he said.
Sharma also targeted Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over the NC’s election promises.
“Mr Omar Abdullah had said he would bring back the so-called Article 370. He had said he would give 200 units of electricity for free and 100,000 jobs,” Sharma said.
He challenged Abdullah to seek a fresh mandate from the people on the issue of statehood.
“If Mr Omar Abdullah has even a little bit of dignity left, then come and fight the elections on statehood and resign from Ganderbal. If people win the elections and send you to the statehood, then we will bow before you,” Sharma said.
Security was tightened across Srinagar in view of the protests, with restrictions and heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel reported around Lal Chowk, the BJP office in Jawahar Nagar and roads leading towards the Civil Secretariat.
