Rival protests in Srinagar

Srinagar witnessed heightened security on Wednesday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a protest march against Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's government, while the ruling National Conference (NC) announced a counter-protest. Police and security forces were deployed in large numbers at Lal Chowk and Jawahar Nagar to maintain law and order, according to officials.

Roads leading to the BJP office at Jawahar Nagar were sealed to prevent any unruly gathering, and all entry points to Ghanta Ghar at Lal Chowk were closed to vehicles, officials said.

The BJP had asked its workers to assemble at Ghanta Ghar before marching towards the Civil Secretariat across the Budshah Bridge over the River Jhelum. The NC, meanwhile, called on its workers to gather outside Gindun Sports Complex at Rajbagh for a march towards the BJP's office.

BJP's protest over electoral promises

The BJP's protest was against what it alleges is the failure of the Omar Abdullah government to fulfil promises made during the 2024 election campaign, as reported by The Times of India. A BJP spokesperson said the youth of Jammu and Kashmir are asking questions that 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," the spokesperson said, as quoted by The Economic Times and The Times of India. The spokesperson added that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir deserve jobs and transparency in appointments.

NC's counter-protest over statehood

The NC announced its counter-protest in Jammu and Srinagar, saying it would gherao BJP headquarters and demand accountability from the Union government over its commitments to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, according to multiple reports. The NC's protest plan came after the BJP announced its secretariat gherao programme for Wednesday.

The BJP had initially planned to hold the secretariat gherao on July 20 but postponed it as the NC was holding a peaceful sit-in at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to press for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, as reported by Daily Excelsior, The Economic Times, and The Times of India.

Background

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 and observed that statehood should be restored as soon as possible, according to reports from all three outlets.