Srinagar Aug 11 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President, Tariq Hameed Karra, has criticised the police for photographing senior political leaders during an ongoing hunger strike, saying they were being treated as if they were criminals.

According to KNS, Karra said the protest, which includes former ministers, parliamentarians and sitting MLAs, has been taking place on a footpath due to a lack of space. “It was only because it was Sunday that we managed to sit there. On other days, there is no place available,” he told reporters.

He alleged that a police constable was sent to take close-up photographs of the leaders without explanation. “Are we criminals? You don’t have photographs of the real criminals or the crimes happening under your nose, but you take pictures of senior political leaders as if it is an assembly of thieves,” he remarked.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Karra further accused a local SDPO whom he claimed had earlier pushed an MLA during a separate incident of shoving him again during the sit-in. “When we objected, he tried to drag me, which led to a scuffle between our colleagues and the police,” he said.

Karra explained that the Congress had earlier challenged a constitutional provision in the Supreme Court, which directed them to first approach the High Court. “Since we filed our writ petition, the government has not filed a rejoinder because their objective has failed. They misused constitutional provisions, and we stopped it,” he added, saying the party is now awaiting the government’s formal reply before deciding its next move.(KNS)