The BJP’s insistence on hoisting the tri-colour at the historic Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Republic Day has put it on the collision course with Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and other political players in the valley.
While Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik has already termed the move as an act of “grave provocation”, Omar on Wednesday said the BJP is igniting a fire for political mileage.
“When Kashmir is burning, they have a problem. Now that Kashmir is quiet they want to set it on fire. The BJP leadership will be wholly and solely responsible for any consequences and disturbance in the peaceful atmosphere caused by their actions,” Omar warned.
The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the BJP, is scheduled to start a rally from Kolkata to Lal Chowk on January 12. It will culminate with the hoisting of the national flag at the famous clock tower of Lal Chowk on January 26.
“When my minister is taking salute of a march past in Bakshi Stadium in the heart of Srinagar, what is the need for the individuals to hoist a flag? Does the BJP consider all this irrelevant?” Omar asked.
The BJP has dismissed his statement. “The BJP maintains that J&K is an integral part of India... We are going to carry the national flag not in one state but through several states,” leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said.
