Senior CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Tuesday criticised the Jammu and Kashmir administration for abruptly revoking permission for a peaceful protest scheduled at Sher-e-Kashmir Park in Srinagar.
The demonstration was part of a nationwide general strike called by central trade unions to protest what Tarigami described as the government’s “anti-working class and anti-farmer policies.”
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Tarigami termed the revocation a “blatant suppression of democratic rights and a deliberate attempt to silence the voices of the working class and farmers.”
The veteran CPI(M) leader and legislator questioned the administration’s intent behind the last-minute cancellation, stating that such actions reflect a shrinking space for peaceful democratic expression in the region.
Authorities have not yet issued a statement explaining the decision to revoke the earlier permission.
Meanwhile, hundreds of leaders and workers from various organisations—including the Kisan Tehreek, Apple Farmers Federation of India (J&K Chapter), Jammu and Kashmir Students Federation of India, and the Democratic Youth Federation—gathered in Kulgam and held a peaceful demonstration in response to the July 9 nationwide strike.
Prominent speakers at the event included Mohammad Abbas Rather, State Secretary of CPI(M); Zahoor Ahmad Rather, President of the Apple Farmers Federation of India (J&K Chapter); senior Kisan Tehreek leader Mohammad Afzal; and youth leader Javed Ahmad
