Army warns BJP about yatra in J&K

The Indian Army has warned that should the flag hoisting, as proposed by a wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), create a law and order problem, it will take action as it deems best for the state and the country.

The BJP’s associate party, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) is planning an Ekta Yatra (Unity March) to hoist the Indian tricolour at Lal Chowk, in the heart of Srinagar, on Republic Day. The army’s Northern Command general-officer-commander-in-chief lieutenant general KT Parnaik on Saturday said hoisting of a flag and law and order is a state subject.

“It is a responsibility of the state and the state police to handle it. However, the way it has come up, if the situation worsens and a law and order problem is created, and army is called out to assist the administration, let me assure you we will take action which is in the best interest of the state and the country,” Parnaik told reporters while replying to a point question at Akhnoor, on the sidelines of investiture ceremony.

The northern command is responsible for the security of borders with Pakistan and China as well as counter-insurgency operations.

The BJYM plans an Ekta Yatra from Kolkata to Sringar, starting on January 12 and which is to culminate  with a flag hoisting ceremony at the famed clock tower in Lal Chowk on January 26. Kolkata has been chosen for the start of the yatra because it is the birthplace of Shayama Prasad Mukherjee, who founded the Jan Sangh, the party that preceded the BJP, and who died in Kashmir in 1953. The BJP’s plan has triggered a chain reaction with pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) vowing to thwart the BJP’s plan.

The army commander’s assertion comes barely days after J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah invoked Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s name to appeal to the BJP to reconsider its decision, fearing that it will disturb peaceful conditions in the valley.

“I hope good sense will prevail. I believe we have to look towards their leader Vajpayee in deciding how to deal with J&K. He moved away from jingoism and talked about humanity. Anything that runs the risk of disturbing peace would not be in the interest of the nation,” Omar said.