JKLF vows to foil BJP plan to hoist Tricolour at Lal Chowk

Friday, Jan 7, 2011

Undeterred by BJP’s warning, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) on Thursday vowed to thwart the opposition party’s plan to hoist the national flag in Lal Chowk on the Republic Day. A meeting of JKLF office bearers was held in Srinagar to discuss the issue of flag hoisting at the clock tower in Lal Chowk.

“Each and every Kashmiri is determined to foil the BJP’s plan. People of Kashmir will stand up and give a befitting reply to BJP in a peaceful and democratic manner. Entire world will see whose flag will be unfurled and whose mindset will be defeated,” said Bashir Ahmad Bhat, vice-president of the JKLF.

Bhat reminded the BJP that despite their plan to hoist flag in 1991, people’s “love and struggle for freedom” could not be suppressed. “BJP is suffering from mental bankruptcy. It is the same party that started peace process with Pakistan and Kashmiris. Now for their petty political gains they are adopting anti-Kashmir policy which would be defeated by the people,” he said.

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha is scheduled to lead an ekta yatra from Kolkata on January 12, which will culminate at Lal Chowk with the flag hoisting on January 26. Kolkata has been chosen because it is the birth place of party founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee,who died in Kashmir in 1953, sources said.

Reacting to the chief minister’s assertions on Wednesday that hoisting the national flag would serve as a provocation to the people of Kashmir, the BJP leaders in Srinagar have said “Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India, and they would go ahead with the plan”.

“We will go ahead with the plan to hoist the tricolour in Srinagar,” national executive committee member and former state unit president of the party, Nirmal Singh told media persons on Thursday in reaction to the chief minister’s warning.

What has added a new twist to the flag hoisting ceremony is the J&K National Panthers Party chairman Bhim Singh’s revelations that the ruling National Conference and BJP has connived to create a communal divide in J&K.

“BJP leadership is sending a dangerous message to the people of the country as if Srinagar is under enemy control. Since Srinagar and whole of J&K forms integral part of India, there is no reason to try to create national misunderstanding,” Singh said.

(Courtesy : www.dnaindia.com)