Srinagar, Feb 20: The District Congress Committee Srinagar has dismissed the protest staged on Friday outside the Indian National Congress office by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), calling it a “desperate and diversionary political stunt”.
Congress District President Dr Audil Farooq Mir, in a statement issued here, strongly condemned the demonstration, saying, “When a party runs out of answers on governance failures, unemployment, price rise, and institutional erosion, it resorts to slogan-shouting and baseless accusations.” Mir said the protest was aimed at diverting attention from the BJP’s own shortcomings.
Addressing the allegations that Congress is acting at the behest of “foreign forces”, Mir called such claims “absolutely absurd”. He added, “The rich nationalist legacy of the Congress party led India’s freedom struggle and safeguarded the nation through its most challenging phases. Those raising such hollow slogans would do well to introspect on their own track record before questioning the patriotism of others.”
The Congress leader questioned the administration’s role in permitting the protest, asking, “We demand to know how such elements were allowed to assemble and create a provocative atmosphere outside a major political party office. Was due permission obtained? Were standard security protocols followed? The administration must clarify whether the same yardstick is being applied uniformly or selectively. Silence on this matter will only raise serious questions.”
He further condemned the BJP for “focusing on theatrics” instead of addressing pressing issues faced by the people, including rising unemployment and economic distress. “It is deeply shameful that BJP, instead of addressing the real suffering of the people, has chosen theatrics. The people of Jammu & Kashmir are politically mature and fully aware of who has strengthened institutions and who has systematically weakened them to benefit a select few cronies,” he said.
Reiterating the Congress’s stance, Mir said, “The District Congress Committee Srinagar reiterates that intimidation, diversion, and manufactured protests will not distract us from raising the genuine issues of the people. We will continue to stand firmly for democratic rights, constitutional values, and the dignity of our citizens. Truth and public interest will prevail over propaganda.”
