Srinagar, J &:K : The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday staged a major protest in Srinagar against the Omar Abdullah led National Conference government, accusing it of failing to deliver on commitments made during the 2024 Assembly election campaign.

BJP leaders workers and supporters assembled at Ghanta Ghar in Lal Chowk and later marched towards the Civil Secretariat as part of the party’s announced “Secretariat Gherao” programme.

The protest focused on issues including unemployment, electricity tariff hikes, alleged corruption in recruitment and the delay in Panchayat elections.

The protesters raised slogans against the government and demanded accountability over what they described as unfulfilled promises made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Heavy security arrangements were put in place along the route from Lal Chowk towards the Civil Secretariat as authorities moved to prevent the situation from escalating.

Addressing the gathering, BJP leaders alleged that the NC government had failed to meet the expectations of the people and had not made sufficient progress on several issues that were central to its election campaign.

BJP Leader of Opposition in the J&K Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma accused the government of failing on multiple fronts and questioned its record on issues affecting the common people.

BJP leaders have particularly highlighted unemployment, electricity tariffs, alleged backdoor appointments and the pending regularisation of daily wagers as major concerns.

The BJP has also alleged that the government is attempting to shift public attention towards the issue of restoration of statehood instead of addressing immediate concerns facing the people.

Sharma had earlier challenged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to seek a fresh mandate on the statehood issue.

The protest comes amid an increasingly sharp political confrontation between the ruling National Conference and the BJP. The NC had announced a counter protest in Srinagar and Jammu over the delay in restoration of statehood and other issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP’s demonstration was therefore not limited to a criticism of the administration’s performance but also reflected the broader political contest between the ruling party and the principal opposition in Jammu and Kashmir.

Police stopped the BJP march as protesters attempted to proceed towards the Civil Secretariat. The authorities had deployed additional personnel in and around Lal Chowk and other sensitive areas of central Srinagar in view of the parallel demonstrations announced by the two parties.

The competing protests marked a significant escalation in the political rhetoric between the NC and BJP, with both parties seeking to project themselves as the stronger voice on issues concerning the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

While the BJP maintained that the government must be held accountable for its election promises and governance record.

The developments have brought governance, unemployment, electricity tariffs, recruitment, statehood and constitutional guarantees back to the centre of political debate in Jammu and Kashmir, with both sides preparing to intensify their campaigns over the coming days.

Report By – Mudasir Maqbool