Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir – Scores of Mahila Congress workers staged a protest in Srinagar on Saturday, raising concerns over alleged misconduct by a senior IAS officer, alleged voter deletion practices, and the murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the demonstration, organized at the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters, saw activists marching and chanting slogans against Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, an IAS officer embroiled in a controversy. Ranjan is accused of using abusive language against a female JKAS officer, Beenish Wani, during a review meeting earlier in the week. The Mahila Congress workers demanded swift action against Ranjan and expressed solidarity with Wani.
The protesters also directed their ire towards Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. They alleged widespread deletion of voters during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, terming it “vote chori.” The demonstrators went as far as to burn an effigy of Kumar and called for his resignation from the post.
Adding another dimension to their protest, the Mahila Congress workers highlighted the case of Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old employee at a resort in Uttarakhand who was murdered in 2022. The protesters demanded accountability and action against those responsible for Bhandari’s killing. The issue gained further public attention recently when Bhandari’s parents conducted a sit-in protest at India Gate in Delhi, seeking justice for their daughter.
The demonstration, which began at the party headquarters on M A Road in Srinagar, attempted to move beyond the office premises. However, police personnel intervened and prevented the protesters from proceeding further, leading to a halt in their march.
The Chenab Times News Desk