Srinagar, The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staged a protest in Srinagar today, voicing opposition to what they describe as ongoing divisive tactics by the BJP government and the Election Commission of India in the region. The protest highlighted deep-seated concerns over the effects of the abrogation of Article 370 and the alleged manipulation of electoral boundaries to disenfranchise local voters.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Naeem Akhtar, a senior PDP leader, addressed the media during the demonstration, criticizing the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 as part of a broader strategy of dispossession and disenfranchisement by the Modi administration. The protest took place at the PDP headquarters on Residency Road, where participants denounced both the BJP and the Election Commission, amid a significant police presence that prevented marchers from taking to the streets.

Akhtar particularly highlighted the creation of the Islamabad-Rajouri constituency, which he argued was engineered to exploit caste and religious divides, describing the constituency as a “geographical oddity” designed to undermine unity against the changes to Article 370 and Article 35A. He accused the delimitation commission of pre-poll rigging aimed at targeting specific community sections, contributing to a broader pattern of what he called the stripping away of Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy and rights.

The protest underscores ongoing tensions in Jammu and Kashmir over the central government’s policies and the local perception that the Election Commission is being used as an instrument of BJP policy, a sentiment Akhtar claimed was supported by evidence from across India.