Saffron activists court arrests over Amarnath land issue

Lucknow, Aug 21 (UNI) Hundreds of BJP, VHP and Bajrang Dal workers today offered court arrest across Uttar Pradesh in response to the nationwide strike called by the Hindu organisations to protest the withdrawal of land from the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board. In the Uttar Pradesh capital, the BJP leaders and workers assembled at Jhandiwala Park to start the agitation.

BJP Mahila Morcha workers procession marched carrying banners in their hands stating ''Amarnath Shrine Board ko jameen vapas karo, Muslim tushtikaran ki neeti band karo'' (return the land to the Amarnath Shrine Board, stop the Muslim appeasement policy). However, the mob was restricted of moving ahead and they offered the court arrest.

Reports reaching here from several districts, including Deoaria, Gorakhpur, Basti, Moradabad, Aligarh, Varanasi, Siddharthnagar and Sant Kabirnagar said the agitators offered court arrest. The mob also ranted anti-central government slogans.

Meanwhile, in Bareilly, a minor clash occurred between policemen and agitators.

Whereas in Kanpur, the workers assembled at Phoolbagh ground to march to the office of the Divisional Commissioner, but were stopped by police near Nanarao park. Later, they were taken to the police lines from where they were released after some time.

Addressing the workers, BJP MP Santosh Gangvar charged that the Central government was hurting the sentiments of scores of Hindus.

The Hindu organisations had today called the nationwide strike against the revocation of land transfer order to the SASB.

UNI JAS PDM SV CS1810