JAMMU/SRINAGAR, October 9, 2026 – Minor scuffles broke out between the police and Congress leaders during massive protest demonstrations held across Jammu and Srinagar on Thursday. The protests were organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) as part of a nationwide call to observe a “Black Day” against the alleged manhandling and illegal detention of senior party leaders in New Delhi a day earlier.
In Srinagar, scores of Congress workers assembled at the party headquarters located at M.A. Road and attempted to take out a protest march towards the main road. However, they were swiftly intercepted by a heavy deployment of police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, who foiled their attempt to step outside the party office complex.
Srinagar Congress District President Adil Farooq, who led the protest in the valley, strongly condemned the central government’s actions. “On the orders of the Modi-Shah government, the way democracy was murdered yesterday… Parliament’s most senior politician, our Congress Party President Mallikarjun Kharge, along with the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi—the kind of behaviour meted out to them in Delhi is unacceptable. We are observing a black day against all of this,” Farooq told reporters. He further alleged that the police used force to stop their peaceful demonstration, claiming that the clothes of some protesting comrades were torn during the ensuing scuffle.
Simultaneous protests erupted in Jammu, where Congress workers held strong demonstrations against the BJP-led central government, calling its actions “authoritarian” and “dictatorial.” Addressing the gathering, senior Congress leaders emphasized that their fight goes beyond political boundaries. “This is not merely a political issue; it concerns the fundamental right of every citizen to choose their representatives. Our fight is to ensure that every legitimate vote is protected and that every voter has confidence in the electoral process,” a senior leader remarked.
The party’s leadership has unanimously demanded the immediate resignation of the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister over the treatment of their national leaders, vowing that the Congress will remain united in opposing what they term a dictatorial regime.
Published by True Roots Media Network