Performers from Kerala state depict Kathakali dance on a tableau during a rehearsal for the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on January 23. India celebrates Republic Day on January 26. (AP Photo)
NEW Delhi, January 23 (Agencies): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of “psychologically surrendering” to Kashmir separatists by describing the party’s decision to hoist the national flag in Srinagar as “divisive”. Addressing media persons here, BJP senior leader Arun Jaitley said: “When two people speak in New Delhi about the segregation of the (Jammu & Kashmir) territory, it passes off as a right to free expression. But when as an assertion of India’s sovereignty, the national flag is sought to be hoisted in Srinagar, it is dubbed as divisive.”
Describing the prime minister’s stand as “unacceptable”, Jaitley wondered how could the hoisting of the national flag be “divisive and provocative”. On union Finance Minister Pranab Mukharjee’s comparing the stalling of parliament by the opposition with the Maoists, Jaitley suggested that the minister be more restrained in his utterances. Obstructing parliamentary procedures in a “rarest of rare” situation was part of parliamentary functioning, Jaitley claimed.
He said the Congress too had resorted to similar obstruction when the party was in the opposition and “we never compared it with Maoists”. The BJP leader slammed the Jammu and Kashmir government and the centre for unleashing a reign of repression on the workers of the party’s youth wing, which is on its “yatra” (march) to Srinagar to hoist the national flag on Republic Day. The “disproportionate reaction” from the state and the central governments pointed to the “state of panic” they were in, Jaitley said describing it as “unconstitutional and undemocratic”. He said it was every citizen’s right to hoist the national flag on Republic Day and no power can stop it. On Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s expected arrival in Delhi, Jaitley said the chief minister will meet senior party leaders including himself (Jaitley).
Describing the prime minister’s stand as “unacceptable”, Jaitley wondered how could the hoisting of the national flag be “divisive and provocative”. On union Finance Minister Pranab Mukharjee’s comparing the stalling of parliament by the opposition with the Maoists, Jaitley suggested that the minister be more restrained in his utterances. Obstructing parliamentary procedures in a “rarest of rare” situation was part of parliamentary functioning, Jaitley claimed.
He said the Congress too had resorted to similar obstruction when the party was in the opposition and “we never compared it with Maoists”. The BJP leader slammed the Jammu and Kashmir government and the centre for unleashing a reign of repression on the workers of the party’s youth wing, which is on its “yatra” (march) to Srinagar to hoist the national flag on Republic Day. The “disproportionate reaction” from the state and the central governments pointed to the “state of panic” they were in, Jaitley said describing it as “unconstitutional and undemocratic”. He said it was every citizen’s right to hoist the national flag on Republic Day and no power can stop it. On Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s expected arrival in Delhi, Jaitley said the chief minister will meet senior party leaders including himself (Jaitley).
BJP will certainly hoist national flag at Lal Chowk: Naidu
Vijayawada, January 23 (Agencies): Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said that the party would definitely hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on the Republic Day. “Every citizen in this country has the right to hold and hoist the national flag,” Naidu said talking to reporters here.
“It is unconstitutional to prevent hoisting of national flag,” Naidu said, adding that the opposition to the proposed hoisting by J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and PM Manmohan Singh’s statement backing him were “shocking and against the spirit of nationalism and patriotism”. Abdullah had urged BJP to desist from hoisting the tricolour at Lal Chowk, saying that if that led to any repercussions in the state, BJP would be responsible.
Vijayawada, January 23 (Agencies): Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said that the party would definitely hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on the Republic Day. “Every citizen in this country has the right to hold and hoist the national flag,” Naidu said talking to reporters here.
“It is unconstitutional to prevent hoisting of national flag,” Naidu said, adding that the opposition to the proposed hoisting by J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and PM Manmohan Singh’s statement backing him were “shocking and against the spirit of nationalism and patriotism”. Abdullah had urged BJP to desist from hoisting the tricolour at Lal Chowk, saying that if that led to any repercussions in the state, BJP would be responsible.
Security revamped in Valley in view of BJP yatra
SRINAGAR, January 23 (PTI): With BJP showing no signs of going back on its plan to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk here, security in the Kashmir Valley has been revamped and all attempts are being made to ensure that the Opposition party does not succeed in its endeavour. Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah chaired a high level meeting of the civil administration and security agencies here on Saturday evening.
“The chief minister reviewed the general law and order situation prevailing in the Valley,” an official spokesman said after the meeting, hours after which police took BJP state unit’s vice president Sofi Mohammad Yousuf into preventive custody. A senior police officer said the BJP leader was taken into custody as a preventive measure under CrPC sections 107 and 151. Yousuf’s detention was the second direct action taken by the state government against the BJP as six party activists were arrested on Saturday afternoon for violating the prohibitory orders in force in the city.
“They were pasting posters which could have led to breach of public peace. They were also found violating section 144 of CrPC, which prohibits assembly of four or more persons,” the officer said. He said 300 posters were seized from the arrested persons who were all residents of the Valley. Similar posters, featuring images of Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and BJP stalwarts like former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, had appeared in Bemina and Tattoo ground areas of the city yesterday but have been removed since.
The state government has decided to deploy around 100 additional companies of police and paramilitary forces to scuttle any attempts by the BJP to march towards Srinagar, official sources said. A large contingent of police has been deployed at Lakhanpur and Nagri Narola, the entry points from Punjab to Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, the sources said. They said sizeable forces will also be deployed at Udhampur and at Jawahar Tunnel, the gateway to Kashmir Valley, to prevent BJP activists from Jammu to march towards the Valley.
While the tunnel is closed for a few hours every year on Independence Day and Republic Day as a security measure, the authorities are mulling the option of closing it on January 25 to prevent the activists from entering the Valley, they said. Besides gearing up for the challenge posed by BJP, the security forces have intensified checks and search operations around Bakshi Stadium, the main venue of Republic Day celebrations in Kashmir.
Vehicles entering and leaving the city are subjected to random searches and security forces have been carrying out patrols around the stadium to ensure militants do not attempt to strike the city, they said. The snow accumulated by the roadside, which has not melted due to the intense cold wave in the Valley, is being removed to rule out the possibility of ultras planting any explosives, the sources said.
“The chief minister reviewed the general law and order situation prevailing in the Valley,” an official spokesman said after the meeting, hours after which police took BJP state unit’s vice president Sofi Mohammad Yousuf into preventive custody. A senior police officer said the BJP leader was taken into custody as a preventive measure under CrPC sections 107 and 151. Yousuf’s detention was the second direct action taken by the state government against the BJP as six party activists were arrested on Saturday afternoon for violating the prohibitory orders in force in the city.
“They were pasting posters which could have led to breach of public peace. They were also found violating section 144 of CrPC, which prohibits assembly of four or more persons,” the officer said. He said 300 posters were seized from the arrested persons who were all residents of the Valley. Similar posters, featuring images of Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and BJP stalwarts like former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, had appeared in Bemina and Tattoo ground areas of the city yesterday but have been removed since.
The state government has decided to deploy around 100 additional companies of police and paramilitary forces to scuttle any attempts by the BJP to march towards Srinagar, official sources said. A large contingent of police has been deployed at Lakhanpur and Nagri Narola, the entry points from Punjab to Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, the sources said. They said sizeable forces will also be deployed at Udhampur and at Jawahar Tunnel, the gateway to Kashmir Valley, to prevent BJP activists from Jammu to march towards the Valley.
While the tunnel is closed for a few hours every year on Independence Day and Republic Day as a security measure, the authorities are mulling the option of closing it on January 25 to prevent the activists from entering the Valley, they said. Besides gearing up for the challenge posed by BJP, the security forces have intensified checks and search operations around Bakshi Stadium, the main venue of Republic Day celebrations in Kashmir.
Vehicles entering and leaving the city are subjected to random searches and security forces have been carrying out patrols around the stadium to ensure militants do not attempt to strike the city, they said. The snow accumulated by the roadside, which has not melted due to the intense cold wave in the Valley, is being removed to rule out the possibility of ultras planting any explosives, the sources said.
