| 2 national parties fight, 2 regional parties watch: BJP-Congress slogan war rocks Srinagar | | |  Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 12: The streets of Srinagar witnessed a noisy political spectacle on Monday as workers of two national parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress, traded slogans and counter-slogans in a face-off that drew the attention of passersby and political observers alike.
The two main regional parties of the Kashmir Valley, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), watched from the sidelines.
The confrontation began when activists of the BJP Mahila Morcha staged a protest against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Around noon, the protesters gathered outside the Congress office in Srinagar and raised slogans against Gandhi and the party leadership. They also burnt an effigy of the Congress leader.
The protest soon turned into a direct face-off. Hearing the slogans, Congress workers came out of their office and began raising counter-slogans, among them “Vote Chor Kahan Melaygai, BJP Ka Office Main” and “BJP Murdabad.”
The BJP protesters answered with a rhyming chant of their own, “Ek Kachori, Do Samosa, Rahul Gandhi Par Kya Bharosa,” as they accused the Congress of electoral irregularities. Congress workers hit back with slogans targeting On social media, both the National Conference and the PDP have openly backed the Congress and its positions.
On the ground in Srinagar, Congress workers were left to take on the BJP alone, while the workers of their online allies stayed away and watched the contest between the two national parties.
The BJP is not a big force in the Valley, yet its enthusiastic workers rarely miss an opportunity to confront the Congress in Kashmir.
Protest came amid an ongoing political dispute between the BJP and the Congress over “vote chori,” with both parties trading accusations over electoral practices.
The protest comes amid an ongoing political dispute between the BJP and the Congress over “vote chori,” with both parties trading accusations over electoral practices.
What made the episode stand out for observers was who was absent from the street. On social media, both the National Conference and the PDP have openly backed the Congress and its positions. On the ground in Srinagar, however, Congress workers were left to take on the BJP alone, while the workers of their online allies stayed away and watched the contest between the two national parties.
The episode also highlights a curious feature of Kashmir’s politics. The BJP is not a big force in the Valley, yet its enthusiastic workers rarely miss an opportunity to confront the Congress and oppose its programmes in Kashmir. For the party’s cadre, even a small protest outside the Congress office in the heart of Srinagar is a chance to make its presence felt.
For now, the contest remains one of slogans, but it has given the Valley’s political circles something to discuss: two national parties fighting on Srinagar’s streets, while the Valley’s own heavyweights stay out of the fray. |
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