Crush separatists in J&K: BJP tells Centre

New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) Former BJP President RajnathSingh today said the Congress-led UPA government should "go toany extent" to crush the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir andpledged all support from the party in this fight.

Singh, who is sitting on a hunger strike at Rajghat herein protest against the stopping of BJP''s Ekta Yatra toSrinagar to unfurl the national flag, said Congress and theOmar Abdullah government in Jammu and Kashmir should stopcompromising with the separatists.

"For how long will they keep compromising with theseparatists? The government should crush them. There should bea final decision (aar paar ka nirnaya) on this issue. The mainopposition is fully with the government in fighting thiscrisis. A solution has to be found. Government should go toany extent. We will support," he told PTI.

The BJP leader maintained that not allowing his party tohoist the national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on RepublicDay would encourage the separatists and send a wrong message.

"If the state and the Central government do not allow usto unfurl the national flag at Lal Chowk, it would give aboost to the separatists and encourage them. They will thinkit is a moral victory for them and a moral defeat for thenationalist forces," Singh said.

He insisted that providing security to anybody wantingto hoist the national flag - "whether at Lal Chowk or Lal Qila(Red Fort)" - was the responsibility of the government.

"We want to ask the government for how long will itcontinue to play with the sovereignty of the country in thename of the so-called law and order issue in Kashmir," Singhsaid, adding that the ordinary Muslim in the Valley wantedpeace and wished to be a part of India.

Singh, an MP from Ghaziabad, would continue his hungerstrike till the evening of January 26, party sources said.

Singh warned the Central and the Omar Abdullahgovernment not to toy with the idea of going for a pre-1953status which would give separate flag, constitution and headof government to the border state.

"That is not acceptable to us. We are in fact, talkingabout abrogation of Article 370 (which gives special status toJammu and Kashmir)," he said.