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Flag row: J&K surrendering to separatists, says BJP

Last updated on: January 23, 2011 16:39 IST

Attacking Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for opposing its proposed flag hoisting at Lal Chowk in Sringar, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday accused the Centre and the state government of "surrendering" to separatists who have declared that they will not let the tricolour be unfurled.

"The government has arrested the members of Bharatiya Yuva Morcha. They have sealed all border points in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent their entry. This is unacceptable and undemocratic," senior Bhartiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley told medaipersons in New Delhi.

By doing so "they have surrendered to the separatists," he said and asserted that party activists have already travelled through 11 states and will hoist the Indian flag in Jammu and Kashmir.

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BJP not trying to score political points: Advani to PM

Last updated on: January 23, 2011 16:39 IST

Referring to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement on the issue on Saturday, senior BJP leader L K Advani voiced hope that he would realise that BJP Yuva Morcha activists were "not trying to score a political point" but were instead challenging the separatists. "And the state is surrendering to them," he said.

He slammed the "curbs" against the activists of Bharatiya Yuva Morcha, BJP's youth wing, by the J&K government.

"If the rationale for the prohibitory orders is apprehension of breach of peace, curbs should be targetted towards those who have declared that they will not let the tricolour be put up at the Lal Chowk. And certainly not against those who have been repeatedly asserting that they will peacefully, and respectfully, unfurl the tricolour at Lal Chowk," Advani wrote in his latest blog posting titled 'Let not the State surrender to separatists'.

Jaitley: How can PM think flag hoisitng will divide nation?

Last updated on: January 23, 2011 16:39 IST

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah unfurls the national tricolour during Independence Day celebrations in Srinagar

Jaitley said the PM's statement that Republic Day celebrations should not be used as political agenda is regrettable.
"How can the prime minister think that hoisting a flag will divide the nation," the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha asked.

Describing the "crackdown" by the state government as a "panic reaction", he said the actions were "even more shameful as the UPA government took no action against various groups of separatists who had gone to New Delhi a few months back and openly spoke of dividing a particular state and about sedition.

"Is hoisting the national flag a provocative issue? By preventing the BJYM workers they have surrendered to the separatists.

'Cong taking action against patriots, not separatists'

Last updated on: January 23, 2011 16:39 IST

The prime minister and the Congress party have to give some clear answers on why they are taking action against patriots and no action against separatists," Jaitley said, adding hoisting the Indian flag is a peaceful assertion of nationalistic sentiment in a sovereign land

Jaitley compared the incident to what happened in 1953 when late socialist leader Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was prevented from entering Jammu and Kahsmir. "57 or 58 years later, this government repeats the same."

He asserted that it was clear that the government was "psychologically surrendering" to separatists.