SRINAGAR: Dozens of National Conference (NC) activists were detained on Wednesday while attempting to march towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Trikuta Nagar during a protest demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The protesters, led by NC Jammu provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta, gathered at the Trikuta Nagar market and moved towards the BJP headquarters to stage a gherao. Police personnel deployed at the site stopped the march and detained the activists after some protesters attempted to cross the barricades, reports said.
The detained protesters were taken in two vehicles to the district police lines, effectively preventing the proposed demonstration outside the BJP office.
Those detained included Gupta, provincial secretary Sheikh Bashir Ahmad and former minister Ajay Sadhotra, reports said.
Ahead of the protest, an NC spokesperson said the party planned a peaceful gherao of the BJP headquarters to seek accountability for commitments made by the Union government in Parliament and before the Supreme Court.
The party demanded constitutional guarantees, restoration of statehood, clearance of the reservation file and justice for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The protesters carried placards with messages accusing the BJP of failing to raise Jammu and Kashmir-related issues, deliver an employment package and facilitate restoration of statehood.
