BJP calls for Jammu bandh tomorrow: Ananth Kumar

Bangalore, Jan 24 (PTI) Senior BJP leader H N Ananth Kumartoday said the party has called for Jammu bandh tomorrow toprotest the detention and arrests of party activistsproceeding to Lal Chowk in Srinagar to hoist the nationaltricolour on January 26.

Speaking to PTI over phone from Jammu airport, where healong with other senior leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swarajwere on a dharna after being stopped, Kumar said the party hadcalled for a Jammu bandh tomorrow in protest against this"illegal move, taken at the behest of the Manmohan Singh ledUPA government".

"The union government and the Jammu and Kashmir governmentare indulging in excesses like diverting train carrying theBJP activists, making preventive arrests, physically stoppingthe Rashtriya Ekta Yatra, which is reminiscent of the darkdays of emergency," he said.

He said the the trio were determined in their resolve tohoist the national tricolour at Lal Chowk and "it is up tothem (Jammu and Kashmir government) to take action".

"Our march to Lal Chowk is peaceful and will be peaceful andour intention is only to convey to the country that thenational tricolour should be and can be hoisted everywhereespecially on August 15 and January 26", Kumar said.

He termed as "unfortunate" that both Prime Minister ManmohanSingh and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah "instead of protectingthe tricolour and facilitating its hoisting were terming it asa provocative act".

Kumar said hoisting the tricolour was a matter of greatpride and it was the duty of the elected governments tofacilitate the same.

He called upon the Union government and the Jammu andKashmir government not to be cowed down by the threats ofseparatists regarding unfurling of the national flag butensure that it is hoisted in Jammu and Kashmir "which is anintegral part of India".

Kumar said the party leaders would sit in dharna throughoutthe country in protest against the "attitude of the Centre andthe state government".