Stop giving sermons on flag-hoisting: BJP tells PM

New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) BJP today hit out at theJammu and Kashmir government and the Centre for "crossing alllimits" to stop the ''Ekta Yatra'' to Srinagar to hoist thenational flag at Lal Chowk tomorrow.

"The atrocities of the Jammu and Kashmir governmentand the Centre has reminded us of the freedom struggle. TheEast India Company used to lay atrocities on Indians withsuch force. The government has crossed all limits," BJPspokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

He insisted that the Ekta Yatra was not aimed atgaining political mileage but a work of dedication andsacrifice as shown by BJP ideologue S P Mookherjee.

"If even one-tenth of the number of para-militaryforces which have been deployed, were used then it would havehelped to easily hoist the flag at Lal Chowk," Hussain said.

The spokesperson maintained that "brutality not justof the freedom struggle, but even of the Emergency days wereshown by the government during the Yatra.

"He took on the government for the treatment meted outto senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and AnanthKumar yesterday in Jammu.

"They were kept at the tarmac for many hours and werenot informed where they were being taken as is done whenSection 144 is invoked," Hussain alleged.

He asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home MinisterP Chidambaram and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister OmarAbdullah to stop "giving sermons" on the issue of hoistingthe national flag at Srinagar.

Hussain alleged that the government was treating BJPworkers like Emergency days and cited the turning back of atrain carrying party workers to Kashmir.

"Not enough facilities were given. Water and powerfacilities were cut off in the train."

Asked about opposition expressed by Bihar ChiefMinister and ally JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar to the flaghoisting plans, Hussain said, "In a democracy, everybody has aright to speak. This is a BJP programme, we are organising it.

And we are proud of it. We feel the euphoria of the movementwill spread from Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of India."

He dismissed suggestions that BJP is undertaking thisYatra for vote bank politics.