The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and National Conference workers clashed on the streets of Srinagar on Wednesday, leading to police intervention and area cordoning. Mehbooba Mufti, former chief minister and president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), criticized both parties and accused the police of having "facilitated" the protests.
Protest Details
The BJP organized a ‘Secretariat Gherao’ to express discontent with the National Conference government regarding recruitment and power tariffs. In response, the National Conference planned a counter-protest outside BJP offices in Jammu and Srinagar, demanding accountability for promises made by the central government in Parliament and before the Supreme Court.
Police cordoned off the secretariat, preventing NC workers from marching towards the BJP offices. On Wednesday morning, hundreds of BJP supporters, led by Sat Sharma, the party’s J&K President, and Sunil Sharma, Leader of Opposition, gathered at Lal Chowk and attempted to march towards the civil secretariat. While police halted the protesters at Hari Singh High Street, a group managed to reach the secretariat.
