The J&K Pradesh Youth Congress (JKPYC) on Thursday organized a massive protest and peaceful march towards the BJP office in Jammu against the undemocratic arrest of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) National President Uday Bhanu Chib and other IYC leaders in New Delhi. The protest, which witnessed participation from a large number of Youth Congress workers, was led by JKPYC General Secretary Anirudh Sawhney in the presence of IYC Secretary Incharge J&K Maan Singh Rathore. As the procession moved forward raising slogans of 'PM is Compromised', heavy police deployment was made to prevent the march from proceeding towards the BJP office. Youth Congress leaders were stopped midway, detained, and later taken to Trikuta Nagar Police Station in Jammu. During the protest, workers raised slogans of “PM is compromised,” condemning the action taken against their national leadership.
Youth Congress leaders including IYC Secretary Incharge J&K Maan Singh Rathore, JKPYC General Secretary Anirudh Sawhney, JKPYC Chairman Sports Cell Adv. Ranjodh Singh, JKPYC Secretary Dr. Suhaib Manhas, Secretary Anmol Kohli and others were detained by the police.
State Vice Presidents Divyansh Jamwal, Amit Siyal, State General Secretary Divyansh Verma, Momin Beigh, Munish Saproo, Sushil Bhagat, State Secretary Suhaib Manhas, Anmol Kohli, Harris Ali, Amir Malik, Naseema Akhtar, along with Mehul Abrol, Balwan Singh, Mujtaba Diwan, Dr.Sarwar and others attended the protest.
Speaking on the issue, IYC Secretary Incharge J&K Maan Singh Rathore strongly criticized the arrest of IYC National President Uday Bhanu Chib and other leaders in New Delhi, terming it a direct assault on democratic values. He stated that the Youth Congress had exercised its constitutional right to hold a peaceful demonstration, and the subsequent arrests reflected the Centre’s intolerance towards dissent. He asserted that raising issues concerning unemployment, trade policies, and youth welfare cannot be labeled as a crime, and suppressing such voices only weakens democratic institutions.
JKPYC General Secretary Anirudh Sawhney, while condemning the police action, said that the Youth Congress had planned a peaceful march to register their protest democratically, but the administration responded by deploying heavy police personnel to block their path. He stated that stopping youth leaders from peacefully marching towards a political office exposes the fear within the government. Sawhney reiterated the demand for the immediate release of Uday Bhanu Chib and all detained IYC leaders, terming their arrest unjustified and undemocratic.
In a strongly worded remark, Sawhney further said that the slogan “PM is compromised” reflects the anger and disappointment of the country’s youth, who feel unheard on crucial national issues. He asserted that detaining Youth Congress leaders and taking them to Trikuta Nagar Police Station will not deter the organization from raising its voice. Vowing to continue democratic agitation, Sawhney said that the Youth Congress will intensify its movement until justice is served and the fundamental right to peaceful protest is respected. He said that the US Trade Deal which was the root issue being highlighted by the Youth Congress, is a dangerous deal as it may open Indian markets to large American corporations, putting small traders, MSMEs, and local industries at a competitive disadvantage and it is worsened by the lack of transparency in the scheme. He said the agitation from Youth Congress will continue.
Also speaking on the issue, Chairman Sports Cell Adv. Ranjodh Singh said that the growing frustration among the youth of the country is being deliberately ignored by the ruling government. He maintained that instead of addressing legitimate concerns over the US trade deal and its potential impact on local businesses and employment opportunities, the government has chosen to silence opposition through force. He warned that such actions would only strengthen the resolve of Youth Congress workers across Jammu & Kashmir and the nation to stand united against what he described as arbitrary and politically motivated arrests.