Srinagar, 25 November (H.S.): Police today foiled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) women’s wing march outside the party headquarters in Srinagar against the proposed increase in electricity surcharge.

Dozens of PDP women activists gathered at the headquarters and raised slogans demanding immediate relief for consumers. They said heavy power bills generated through smart meters had caused severe financial distress for local households and accused the authorities of proposing higher tariffs during peak hours at a time when families were already struggling with basic expenses.

Security personnel were deployed outside the office and prevented the protesters from moving towards the city centre, confining them to the party premises.

One protesting woman said Kashmiris had placed hope in the National Conference Government, believing their majority vote would bring solutions. “No issue has been resolved so far, and now they are proposing a 20 percent hike. We are not even being allowed to protest or move outside the party premises,” she said. Another protester added, “First they said they would throw the smart meters into the Jhelum, and now this hike.”

Party members accused the National Conference Government of failing to deliver on its election promises, particularly its pledge of providing free electricity to the public. They alleged the Government had “misled the people” and ignored repeated concerns about rising bills and billing practices. “Instead of easing the burden on common consumers, the administration is escalating their hardship. People are already facing issues, and this hike will break their backs further. They are not talking about the promised free 200 units, and we are protesting against this unjust move,” a protesting woman said.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti later criticised the police action, saying the right to peaceful protest was being suppressed. In a post on X, she called the move “yet another continuation of the assault on our democratic rights since 2019.”

“When even the most peaceful voices are throttled under the pretext of law and order, it sends a chilling message that our pain is irrelevant, that our rights are expendable, and that speaking up now carries an unfair cost,” she wrote.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar