BJP Stages Protest In Srinagar Seeking Complete Liquor Ban In J&K

According to officials, scores of BJP leaders and activists gathered near Ram Munshi Bagh Park in Srinagar before attempting to march towards the residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Gupkar.

The protestors raised slogans calling for a total prohibition on the sale and consumption of liquor in the Union Territory, asserting that such a move was necessary to protect the social and cultural values of Jammu and Kashmir.

Police personnel deployed in the area intercepted the march before it could proceed towards the Chief Minister’s residence. Several BJP leaders and workers were taken into preventive custody outside the CM’s residence to prevent escalation of the protest, officials said.

Authorities later dispersed the demonstrators peacefully, and the detained leaders were subsequently released after brief questioning.

The protest once again brought the issue of liquor prohibition into political focus in Jammu and Kashmir, where different political and social groups have periodically raised demands for a blanket ban on alcohol sales in the region.