SRINAGAR: As Congress workers in Jammu and Kashmir protested on Thursday against the alleged manhandling of party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, by the police during a protest in New Delhi, the J&K BJP hit back by condemning the alleged assault on a Kashmiri Muslim youth by Congress workers during the protest and claiming that the INDIA bloc had been exposed.
The Congress observed a “Black Day” in J&K on Thursday, with protests being held at party headquarters in Srinagar, Jammu and other parts of the Union Territory. The protests were organised against the alleged manhandling of Congress leaders by Delhi Police during Wednesday’s demonstration against alleged irregularities in the electoral process and seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Carrying placards and banners, Congress workers raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
“On the orders of the BJP, RSS, Modi and Shah, Delhi Police manhandled Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders in Delhi, who were protesting against ‘vote chori’ by the CEC. We are observing a Black Day today against it. The way the British committed excesses during India’s freedom struggle, the BJP and RSS are committing excesses against people today. They want to take away our constitutional guarantees, including the right to protest,” said Srinagar Congress district president Adil Farooq while addressing the protesting party workers.
He said CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have to leave as “people of the country have now realised that the time has come to say goodbye to the BJP and RSS”.
In Jammu, the Congress protest was led by the party’s working committee president Raman Bhalla.
Seeking to counter the Congress protests, the J&K BJP raised the issue of the alleged assault on Kashmiri Muslim youth Faheem Ashraf by Congress workers during the protest in the national capital.
In a purported video that has gone viral, Faheem is seen stating that he is a resident of Kashmir and a fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while being allegedly beaten by Congress workers, who are seen kicking and punching him.
Speaking to the media, he said he had not hurled abuses at Rahul Gandhi. “You see how they beat me. I have been saying that conspiracies are being hatched to turn the country into Nepal and Bangladesh. I am a citizen of this country, and it is my responsibility to ensure that it does not become Nepal or Bangladesh.”
“Is this freedom of speech?” Faheem questioned Rahul Gandhi.
The J&K BJP has taken strong exception to the alleged beating of the Kashmiri youth by Congress workers.
“If a Kashmiri Muslim youth was beaten merely for raising slogans critical of Rahul Gandhi, it exposes the real face of the so-called INDIA bloc—democracy and dissent are welcome only when they suit them,” J&K BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said.
He said the Congress and its allies could not preach tolerance to the nation while allegedly silencing a Kashmiri voice through physical intimidation. “Kashmiris do not need lessons in democracy from those who cannot tolerate an opposing slogan.”
“This is not merely an attack on one youth; it is an assault on the fundamental right to dissent. The INDIA bloc must answer: Is criticism of Rahul Gandhi now a crime? If they truly believe in democracy, let them condemn this incident unequivocally and ensure accountability,” Thakur said.
He said Kashmir would not be bullied into silence and that no political alliance could claim the mantle of democracy while crushing dissent on the streets.
