Omar invites Jaitely to participate in R-day celebrations

Jammu, Jan 25 (PTI) In a goodwill gesture, Jammu andKashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tonight spoke to BJPleader Arun Jaitely and invited party members, who werearrested for trying to enter the state, to attend the RepublicDay function either in Jammu or in Srinagar tomorrow.

Omar''s move comes hours after the BJP delegation ledby Jaitely and Sushma Swaraj was stopped at Lakhanpur in J-K.

They were proceeding towards Srinagar to hoist the tricolourat the historic Lal Chowk.

He told PTI tonight that he had extended an invitationto the BJP delegation for being the guest at the Republic Dayfunction at any of the two cities.

"The state government will facilitate theirparticipation at either of the venues," he said.

The Chief Minister said that he had also ordered therelease of all BJP workers who had courted arrest as well asthe BJP MLAs detained during the day.

Earlier this evening, Omar chaired a high-levelmeeting during which preparations for tomorrow''s celebrationswere reviewed.

Omar appealed to the people to defeat the separatists''plan to disrupt the Republic Day celebrations.