High Voltage Face-Off in Srinagar: 3 Big Demands as NC Marches on BJP Office Over Statehood & Rights
SRINAGAR:In Srinagar High-octane political drama erupted in the summer capital on Wednesday as the ruling National Conference (NC) orchestrated a massive protest march targeting the central government. The agitation was aimed directly at holding New Delhi accountable for long-pending commitments made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, primarily the unconditional restoration of full statehood, constitutional safeguards, and rationalised reservation criteria for local youth.
The agitation began at the Gindun Sports Complex in Rajbagh, where hundreds of party activists, legislators, senior ministers, and office bearers congregated carrying placards, waving party flags, and chanting slogans against administrative inertia. As the massive procession attempted to march toward the BJP headquarters in neighboring Jawahar Nagar to stage an announced gherao, a heavy police presence intercepted the cadres near the Rajbagh Police Station, erecting multi-tiered barricades and taking several key workers into preventive custody.
- Immediate Restoration of Full Statehood: Ending bureaucratic governance by reviving J&K’s historic status with self-governing federal powers.
- Constitutional & Territorial Safeguards: Providing robust guarantees to shield local land ownership, natural resources, and cultural identity.
- Reservation Rationalisation for Youth: Expeditious clearance and implementation of the revised reservation framework approved by the J&K Cabinet.
High-Security Deployment in Srinagar Foils Secretariat & Party HQ March
Anticipating large-scale mobilization, security authorities threw an impenetrable security cordon across Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, and adjacent transit corridors. Extra contingents of Jammu and Kashmir Police along with paramilitary units manned strategic road intersections, restricting vehicular and pedestrian movement to prevent demonstrators from reaching the BJP office.
Despite the administrative hurdles and preventative blockades, prominent cabinet figures and elected representatives led the protest from the front, turning the standoff into a public referendum on the Centre’s delivery of its solemn political commitments.
Time Has Come for Delhi to Deliver: Tanvir Sadiq
Addressing media personnel during the face-off, NC Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq maintained that the peaceful demonstration was not targeted at the BJP’s regional functionaries, but served as a direct wake-up call to the central leadership in New Delhi.
Sadiq also took strong exception to administrative restrictions, alleging that active barriers were erected across city points specifically to dilute public participation and deter activists from assembling peacefully.
Every Day Is a Day of Protest: Sakina Itoo
Echoing defiant sentiments, Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo asserted that the National Conference would persist in an unyielding, peaceful democratic struggle until J&K’s constitutional self-respect is reinstated.
Itoo raised questions regarding selective policing, noting that while opposition rallies were granted unhindered passage through major hubs like Lal Chowk, the ruling party’s peaceful assembly was subjected to sudden curbs and detentions. “This dual-standard and persistent administrative arm-twisting will not silence the popular will. We will persist at every democratic forum until Articles 370 and 35A guarantees and full statehood are restored,” she declared.
Patience Wears Thin After 2-Year Wait: Nasir Aslam Wani
Senior Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, pointed out that the party exercised deliberate restraint for over two years, expecting prompt post-election steps toward statehood and administrative autonomy. Instead, he observed, critical governance matters remain ensnared in bureaucratic delays.
Backing these remarks, Member of Parliament Choudhary Ramzan emphasized that the protest stands as a direct reminder to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to honor their floor promises. Ramzan confirmed that such organized, peaceful public mobilizations will continue at regular intervals across all districts of Jammu and Kashmir until the Centre delivers complete federal restoration.
