Srinagar/Jammu, July 20 -- Police foiled the protest march by J&K Congress leadership, for statehood, at Srinagar on Saturday. The Congress leadership were planning to hold a rally from its party headquarters to the office of Kashmir divisional commissioner. The police didn't allow leaders to leave the party headquarters at MA road towards the divisional commissioner office. The rally was led by Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra and several party legislators. Carrying placards and banners, the workers were shouting slogans about the statehood restoration. Even many Congress leaders were stopped on way to party headquarters at various places outside the city. A video of legislator Irfan Hafeez Lone went viral on social media in which he along with his supporters was stopped by a police officer on the Srinagar Baramulla national highway. Lone was heckled by police officer while he tried to March towards Srinagar. Later Lone and his supporters also sat on sit in protest on the national highway and raised slogans in favour of statehood and against BJP. J&K Pradesh Congress president Tariq Ahmad Karra said police didn't allow them to take out rally and many workers and leaders were prevented from reaching Srinagar office. "Our protest for statehood will continue. We are holding similar protest in Jammu and then national capital." Congress CWC member and legislator Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that party has been protesting for restoration of statehood which was not only promised by the PM in Parliament but also apex court of the country. "Today we had planned to submit memorandum to Kashmir divisional commissioner but police didn't allow us to come out from our office. Our protest will continue and on July 22 we will hold protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi." Earlier this week Congress president Malikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote letter to PM Modi seeking restoration of statehood in J&K. J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah and NC president Farooq Abdullah praised Congress for raising statehood of J&K with the centre and hoped that this issue will also be taken up during monsoon session of the parliament which begins on Monday. Senior Congress leaders on Saturday strongly condemned the use of force by the administration towards the peaceful march by the party in Srinagar where leaders led by JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra wanted to submit a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister for seeking restoration of statehood. Addressing media persons here, working president Raman Bhalla said that the police forcibly confined the protestors inside the gate of the Congress headquarters leading to scuffle in which the PCC president Tariq Hameed Karra received minor injuries. Bhalla strongly criticised the action of the administration and the police against the peaceful protestors and the participants from various districts, including sitting legislators, and senior Congress leaders who were not allowed to reach the venue of the march in Srinagar Congress Office. He also said that party MLA Irfan Hafeez Lone had to stage a sit in dharna at Narbar, on the main road from where he was removed forcibly by the police. He announced to go ahead with the proposed march towards Raj Bhawan from Shaheedi Chowk in Jammu on Sunday. They will submit the memorandum to the Prime Minister for statehood through the LG....