Congress Stages Jammu Protest Challenging Centre’s Policies

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress on Monday held a protest outside its party headquarters in Jammu, criticising the BJP led central government and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over what party leaders described as an “abject surrender” in India’s dealings with the United States. The demonstration, led by JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra, also renewed the party’s call for the early restoration of statehood to J&K.

A large number of Congress workers and leaders assembled at Shaheedi Chowk along winter capital’s Residency Road, where police had deployed heavy security and prevented the protesters from marching further. Many of the participants, including women, carried placards reading “Restore Statehood” and “Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq (Our state, our right),” while raising slogans against the central government and the recent India–US trade arrangements.

Addressing the gathering, Karra launched a sharp critique of the Centre, alleging that the Prime Minister had weakened institutions that historically shaped India’s foreign policy and diminished the country’s global standing. He said India had once been a leading voice in the Non Aligned Movement and regional cooperation platforms such as SAARC, but that its international image had suffered in recent years. According to him, the conduct of the government had undermined the dignity traditionally associated with the office of the Prime Minister.

Karra further alleged that the government was compromising India’s strategic and economic interests in its engagements with major global powers. He cited debates around energy purchases and trade decisions, arguing that such matters should remain firmly within India’s sovereign decision making framework. He reiterated the Congress party’s demand that the Prime Minister step down, framing the protest as part of a broader political struggle over national interest and democratic accountability.

During the demonstration, protesters also burned flags of the United States and Israel as a symbolic expression of dissent. Karra said the party had planned coordinated protests across all 20 districts of J&K to coincide with the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament. However, he alleged that police in several districts of the Kashmir Valley prevented peaceful gatherings, with some Congress workers reportedly detained or placed under house arrest. He described these actions as a violation of democratic rights and compared the restrictions to authoritarian practices.

Reaffirming the party’s long standing position, Karra stressed that the restoration of statehood to J&K remained a non negotiable demand. He said the people were not seeking favours but the return of constitutional guarantees that had been taken away. The Congress, he asserted, would continue its political struggle until full statehood was reinstated.

Karra also criticised the central government over rising prices, including the recent hike in LPG rates, arguing that such increases would further burden millions of households and deepen the economic distress faced by ordinary citizens.