Ziraat Times News Desk
Srinagar: A protest march led by the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was thwarted by thw administratiom in Lal Chowk, Srinagar on Tuesday, as party leaders and workers took to the streets against what they termed the worsening electricity and drinking water crisis, along with deteriorating civic conditions across the Valley.
The demonstration, which was stopped near the GPO building, saw several PDP leaders detained, triggering sharp criticism from the party’s General Secretary Mohammad Khurshid Alam, who later addressed the media following his release.
“Arrests won’t resolve crises”: Alam
Speaking to reporters, Alam said the administration’s response to peaceful protests reflected a deeper crisis of governance. “Detaining us won’t resolve the water and power crises or hide the National Conference’s broken promises. The people of J&K deserve better, and we will not stop raising their concerns,” he said.
He accused the ruling National Conference (NC) of abandoning its electoral promises and opting for a policy of suppression instead of addressing genuine public grievances. “They came to power promising change and good governance. But we see the same old pattern of betrayal and authoritarianism,” he remarked.
Alam termed the police crackdown as part of a broader pattern of what he called “systematic stifling of democratic dissent” in Jammu and Kashmir. “When a government arrests peaceful protesters instead of listening to their concerns, it exposes its bankruptcy of ideas and moral legitimacy,” he asserted.
The protest, according to PDP leaders, was aimed at drawing attention to unprecedented power outages, lack of irrigation water for crops, and an acute shortage of potable water in several districts of both north and south Kashmir. In recent weeks, many rural areas have reported dry taps, affecting domestic use and agriculture.
Despite the disruption, Alam hailed the “resilience and courage” of PDP workers and leaders who participated in the march, many of whom were briefly detained. “Our commitment to the people of Jammu and Kashmir is not conditional on our freedom from detention. Whether inside prison walls or outside, our voice will continue to echo the aspirations of our people,” he said.
He also extended gratitude to the PDP leadership for “standing firm in the face of repression” and vowed that the party would intensify its public outreach to raise awareness about governance failures.
