By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Political temperature rose in Kashmir on Wednesday as workers of the ruling National Conference (NC) and the opposition BJP staged rival protests in Srinagar, targeting each other over different issues.
The NC held a protest march towards the BJP headquarters, demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and constitutional safeguards. The party said the demonstration was aimed at reminding the BJP-led Centre of commitments made to the people of J&K and sought fulfilment of promises relating to statehood and safeguards for the region.
The BJP, meanwhile, staged a protest against the Omar Abdullah-led NC government, accusing it of failures on governance and employment. BJP leaders raised issues including unemployment, alleged irregularities in recruitment and outsourcing of jobs, corruption, power tariff hikes and the delay in local body elections.
The rival demonstrations brought parts of Srinagar under heavy security cover, with police putting up barricades and stopping protesters from reaching their intended destinations. The protests led to minor confrontations between police and demonstrators as the two parties sought to turn the streets into a political battleground.
The face-off reflects the increasingly sharp political contest in J&K, with the NC focusing on statehood and constitutional issues, while the BJP is seeking to put the spotlight on governance, jobs and economic concerns under the elected NC government.