Shawl seller assault in Uttarakhand: PDP protest march ‘disallowed’ in Srinagar

Opposition People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) protest march over the thrashing of Kashmiris outside Jammu & Kashmir was thwarted by the authorities in Srinagar on Saturday (January 31, 2026).

Carrying placards seeking attention and end to the thrashing of Kashmiris outside Jammu & Kashmir, PDP leaders assembled at the party headquarters in Srinagar. However, the PDP leaders said the security forces disallowed them to step outside the office premises.  

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti reacted sharply to the police action. “When a young Kashmiri shawl seller is almost beaten to death in Uttarakhand, no one comes to his rescue. But when the PDP attempts a peaceful protest against such atrocities, the entire police machinery is unleashed to crush the march,” Ms. Mufti said.

She said Kashmiris were caged within Jammu & Kashmir and thrashed when they step out to earn an honest livelihood. “When even survival is treated as a crime, where are Kashmiris supposed to go from here? Are they even allowed to exist in New India?” she added.