Rajnath Singh on hunger strike in Delhi over ‘Tiranga Yatra’

NEW DELHI - A day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj were forcibly escorted out of Jammu, former BJP President Rajnath Singh went on a hunger strike to protest against the Central and Jammu and Kashmir Governments’ decision to prevent the party from hoisting the Tricolour at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk.

Talking to reporters, Singh said, “I want to ask the government, till when the nation’s integrity be compromised for maintaing so-called peace.”

Party leaders Shahnawaz Hussain, Najma Heptullah, Ram Lal and Smriti Irani expressed their support to Singh and joined him at the venue.

BJP workers spent the night in a tent at Rajghat and will continue the agitation amid slogans and speeches promoting the Rashtriya Ekta Yatra till January 26.

On Monday, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj were not allowed to leave the Jammu airport.

The Jammu and Kashmir Government has sealed its borders with Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to prevent the BJP youth wing from entering the state.

The state government has made elaborate security arrangements to maintain law and order keeping the Yatra in mind.

The State Government has made it clear that it will not allow any flag hoisting at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on the Republic Day.

The BJP has, however, reiterated its resolve to hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk.

Earlier, six BJP leaders were arrested and a train carrying party workers to Jammu was sent back to Karnataka without the passengers coming to know.

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha national president Anurag Thakur is leading the Rashtriya Ekta Yatra - flagged off on January 12 at Kolkata and scheduled to reach Srinagar on January 26.

The Yatra was expected to cover 3,037 km and enter the State on the afternoon of January 24 at Pathankot. (ANI)