Security tightened in Srinagar as the BJP and Omar Abdullah's NC take to the streets. What's happening?
In view of the protests in the capital, heavy security has been deployed to prevent any clashes.
On Wednesday, heightened security measures were enforced in Srinagar as the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and National Conference (NC) organized separate protests against each other. The NC, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, planned a march to the BJP office in Srinagar to demand the reinstatement of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. Concurrently, the BJP staged a counter-protest, criticizing the recent rise in electricity prices and youth unemployment in the region.
The NC has been vocal about its demands for constitutional guarantees, restoration of statehood, clearance of the reservation file, and justice for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. In a statement on X, the party emphasized that the mandate of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is not a blank cheque and must be respected. However, the NC alleged that their peaceful protest was obstructed by the police, while the BJP was permitted to march to the Secretariat in Srinagar.
Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Sunil Kumar Sharma, refuted the NC's claims, stating that the BJP will also conduct a protest and address the concerns of the people across the union territory. The BJP, which had announced the protest a month ago, focused on job creation for the youth as the primary issue. The NC, however, dismissed the BJP's protest as superficial, accusing the party of having sold 25,000 jobs to contractors in the past.
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