A group of BJP supporters from north Kashmir staged a brief protest after being denied entry to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election rally at the Sher-e-Kashmir stadium in Srinagar, Press Trust of India reported.
The protesters claimed they arrived late and were not allowed inside due to strict security measures.
Many of the protesters, who had traveled from remote areas like Tangdhar, Pharkian Top, and Baramulla, said they were delayed because of poor road conditions. One BJP worker expressed frustration, saying, “We incurred expenses and left our work to see and listen to Modi, but we were stopped at the gate.”
Prime Minister Modi arrived at the venue shortly after noon, but security personnel closed the gates at 10 a.m. The protesters, including local BJP leaders, voiced disappointment, feeling that their efforts to attend the rally had been in vain.
BJP district secretary for Kupwara, Mudasir Ahmad, stated that many workers had risked their lives to attend the rally, adding that they left their livelihoods behind to catch a glimpse of the prime minister. “If there was no space, they should not have invited people. We were better off at home,” Ahmad remarked.