JAMMU, Feb 14: Several Congress leaders and workers were taken into custody on Saturday after police prevented their proposed ‘Lok Bhawan Chalo’ march in Jammu.
The demonstration, organised under the banner of the ‘Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq’ campaign, was aimed at pressing for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and raising concerns over the implementation of MGNREGA.
According to party representatives, hundreds of supporters assembled at Maharaja Hari Singh Park before beginning a procession towards Lok Bhawan. Police intervened near Jewel Chowk, stopping the march and detaining multiple senior figures.
Among those taken into custody were AICC General Secretary Syed Naseer Hussain, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra, CLP leader G A Mir, Working President Raman Bhalla and AICC Secretary and Punjab MLA Pargat Singh.
Congress spokesperson Ravinder Sharma criticised the police action, stating that the party’s programme was peaceful and intended to draw attention to public welfare issues. He alleged that leaders were placed in police vehicles and shifted to district police lines shortly after the march was halted.