Congress stages protest in Jammu, seeks PM Modi’s resignation

Jammu, Mar 9 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir unit of Congress on Monday staged a protest outside its party headquarters here against the BJP-led central government, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “abject surrender” before the US.

The protesters, led by Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra, also pushed for early restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

Scores of Congress activists and leaders gathered outside the party headquarters at Shaheedi chowk along the Residency road but were not allowed to move forward by police which was deployed in strength to maintain law and order.

The workers, including women, were carrying placards reading “Restore Statehood” and “Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq" and also raised slogans against the Modi government and the India-US trade deal.

Launching a sharp attack on the Centre, Karra alleged that the prime minister had “destroyed India’s global standing” and weakened institutions that once defined the country’s foreign policy.

“India was a champion of the Non-Aligned Movement and regional cooperation platforms like SAARC, but today the country’s image has been demeaned. The prime minister’s conduct has brought down the honour and dignity of the office,” he alleged.

He alleged the government was compromising India’s interests in its dealings with global powers.

“They are even dictating terms on whether India should buy oil from Russia. Such decisions about our trade and energy security cannot be dictated by other countries,” he said.

The Congress leader accused the prime minister of making an “abject surrender” in international dealings and reiterated the party’s demand that Modi step down.

“The US and Israel have videos of Modi and are blackmailing him. He is compromised and must step down,” Karra alleged.

During the protest, demonstrators also set ablaze flags of the United States and Israel as a mark of protest.

Karra said the party had planned protests across all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir coinciding with the ongoing Budget session of Parliament, but alleged that police did not allow peaceful demonstrations in certain districts of the Kashmir Valley even as protests were also being held simultaneously in Srinagar.

He claimed that Congress workers in several districts of the valley were either detained or placed under house arrest, terming it a curtailment of democratic rights.

“Our constitutional right to protest is not being allowed. This is not democracy but autocracy and replica of the Nazi era,” he said.

Karra reiterated the party’s demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

“Restoration of statehood is our stated stand and we are reiterating it. We are not begging from anyone nor seeking any favour. Our constitutional guarantees must be restored to us,” he said, asserting the party would continue its struggle until statehood is restored.

The Congress leader also criticised the Centre over rising prices, including the hike in LPG, saying the increases would further burden crores of people and worsen the economic situation in the country. PTI TAS TAS DV DV