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Public update

BJP Marched to Kashmir's CM House to Protest Its Own Government's Liquor Policy. The LG Who Could Stop It Is Also Theirs.

15 May 2026 - Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir

Record date
15 May 2026
Location
Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
The odd part

The party of national governance staged a street protest against a Union Territory where its own Lieutenant Governor holds executive powers. The march destination was a house, not a parliament.

What happened

On May 15, 2026, the BJP's Jammu & Kashmir unit marched through Srinagar toward Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's residence on Gupkar Road to protest the operation of liquor shops in the Kashmir Valley. BJP co-media incharge Advocate Sajid Yousuf Shah warned the government they would personally 'lock down' liquor stores if the CM didn't act — which raises the question of under which article a party spokesperson acquires administrative shutdown powers. The BJP nationally backs the Lieutenant Governor of J&K, who retains significant executive authority over the UT and could theoretically intervene in licensing. CM Abdullah responded that no new shops had been opened and that the government was not encouraging alcohol but permitting personal choice for those whose religion allows it. The protest concluded without incident. The liquor shops remained open. The LG issued no statement.

Source material