Govt giving in to fundamentalists' pressure : BJP

New Delhi, Jul 2 (UNI) Strongly condemning the firing on peaceful protestors against withdrawal of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), the BJP today alleged that the Union and Jammu &Kashmir governments had surrendered to the pressure of fundamentalist and separatist elements in the state.

Asking the country not to view the U-turn of the Congress to take back 40 hectares of forest land for creating temporary facilities for Amarnath pilgrims as an isolated instance, BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said the Congress had taken a series of such decisions, right from amending the Constitution to complying with the demands of the fundamentalists in the Shahbanoo case to the UPA government questioning the existance of Lord Rama in its affidavit before the Supreme Court.

In a pluralist society, the Constitution doesn't allow positive or negative discrimination against anybody because of religious reasons but the government appointed Justice Rajendra Sachar Commission to go into the status of Muslims in the country.

He said two BJP activists were critically wounded in the police firing at Bhaderwah and efforts were made to shift them to a Military Hospital. The atmosphere was tense in the entire Jammu region.

The separatist elements were accusing the government of bringing about demographic changes in the Kashmir valley through Amarnath Yatra but they should realise that pilgrims visiting the valley for two months cannot change the demography, the spokesman said.

These elements should not forget their own deeds of driving out families of Kashmiri Pandits from their homes in the valley in the name of religion, he added.

It is shameful that the J&K government had succumbed to the wishes of these elements under the guidance from the Centre, Mr Javadekar said.

He said there was a huge response from the people for tomorrow's 'hartal' call given by the BJP and this would be an eye opener for the Centre.

The party was confident that there would be a positive response for the call from all parts of the country.

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