NC, BJP to stage counter protests in Srinagar; security tightened

Srinagar: Police and security forces were deployed in large numbers at Lal Chowk and Jawahar Nagar here on Wednesday to maintain law and order in view of the BJP plan to gherao the Civil Secretariat and the ruling National Conference's plan to stage a counter protest outside the office of the national party.

Roads leading to the BJP office at Jawahar Nagar have been sealed to prevent any unruly gathering, while all entry points to Ghanta Ghar at Lal Chowk have been put off limits to all vehicles, the officials said.

The BJP has asked its workers to assemble at Ghanta Ghar before they march towards the Civil Secretariat across the Budshah Bridge over River Jhelum, while the National Conference has asked its workers to gather outside Gindun Sports Complex at Rajbagh for the march towards the BJP's office.


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While the NC will gherao the BJP headquarters in Jammu and Srinagar over statehood issue, the BJP's gherao of the Civil Secretariat here is over the Omar Abdullah government's alleged failure to fulfil its electoral promises.

The NC announced that it will gherao the opposition BJP headquarters in Jammu and Srinagar, demanding accountability for the promises the Union government made in Parliament and the Supreme Court regarding the restoration of statehood.

The NC's protest announcement comes in response to the BJP's secretariat gherao plan for Wednesday to protest against the alleged failure of the Omar Abdullah government to deliver on the promises made by it during the election campaign in 2024.

The BJP, the principal opposition party in Jammu and Kashmir, had originally planned its secretariat gherao on July 20 but postponed it due to NC holding a peaceful sit-in at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to press for restoration of statehood to J-K.

A BJP spokesperson said the youth of J-K are asking questions which the NC government must answer.

"On September 2, we shall raise the concerns over alleged backdoor appointments, job outsourcing, unemployment, corruption and unfulfilled commitments outside the Civil Secretariat, Srinagar," he said.

The spokesperson said the youth of Jammu and Kashmir deserve jobs and transparency in the appointments.

Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh in August 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370.

In December 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Centre's decision, observing that statehood should be restored as soon as possible.