Farooq Tantary CNI

Srinagar, July 19: Congress president for Jammu and Kashmir, Tariq Hameed Karra, on Saturday accused the administration of

preventing party workers from reaching the party headquarters in Srinagar, terming the move “undemocratic” and a sign of “administrative frustration.”Addressing reporters at the Congress headquarters in Srinagar, Karra said workers

from various parts of the Valley were stopped en route to Srinagar, as the party had planned to submit a memorandum to the Divisional Commissioner demanding restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.“We had assembled peacefully to reiterate our demand, but we were barred from hitting the roads and confined to the party headquarters,” Karra said.

“This suppression is unacceptable in a democratic setup.”He added that the party will intensify its protests ahead of the scheduled July 21 march to Delhi, where senior Congress leaders are expected to escalate the campaign for statehood.Karra expressed gratitude to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for writing to the Prime Minister in support of statehood restoration.