SRINAGAR, August 5, 2025 : The Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Tuesday attempted a sit-in protest outside its Srinagar office to mark the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, but was stopped by police and confined within party premises.
Led by JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra, scores of Congress workers gathered outside the party’s M.A. Road headquarters to denounce the 2019 move that revoked J&K’s special status and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories. Police personnel swiftly intervened, locked the office gates, and prevented the protestors from stepping onto the main road.
The Congress workers then staged a symbolic protest within the party office, raising slogans and condemning what they called the Centre’s continued disempowerment of the region.
Speaking to reporters, Karra said August 5 would always be remembered as the day the people of J&K lost their identity. “The identity of 1.40 crore people was stripped. This isn’t just bifurcation—it was a deliberate degradation. That’s why we observe this as a day of mourning,” he said.
Responding to reports suggesting Jammu may be granted statehood while Kashmir remains a Union Territory, Karra warned that any such move would have serious consequences. “Any misadventure of this kind will only worsen the situation and damage India’s global image,” he said.
On the promise of a “Naya Jammu and Kashmir” post-Article 370, Karra said the people have rejected the narrative. “This ‘new J&K’ has brought disempowerment, suppression of voices, and erosion of civil liberties. We want the old J&K back—where people had dignity, representation, and rights,” he added.
The Congress observed similar protests across all 20 districts of the Union Territory, marking the day as “Black Day.”
