Kashmir government mulls action against BJP yatra

JAMMU - The Jammu and Kashmir government is mulling a tough response to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) planned march to Lal Chowk in Srinagar later this month to prevent a law and order problem in the valley.

BJP’s Rashtriya Ekta Yatra or national unity march started from Kolkata Wednesday and it is expected to reach Srinagar on Republic Day Jan 26, where its activists led by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president Anurag Thakur want to hoist the national flag. Separatists in the valley have expressed strong opposition to the plan.

According to official sources, the state government is against this “misadventure of the BJP”.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has warned the BJP against unfurling of the Indian tricolor at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, saying that “BJP alone would be responsible for the consequences”.

He accused the BJP of planning to disturb peace in Kashmir, alleging that the unfurling of the national tricolor would provoke the Kashmiri youth who may resort to violence.

The sources said the state machinery is gearing up to meet the challenge.

“If need be, we may take tough action against the marchers because we cannot afford to have trouble in the valley again,” an official close to Abdullah, who is also the state home minister, told IANS.

The official, however, did not specify what kind of action would be taken against the marchers.

A meeting of the state cabinet to decide on the nature of the action against the BJP was scheduled for Wednesday but was not held as Abdullah could not land here from New Delhi in time.