To keep in check opposition's propaganda, BJP plans nationwide campaign on Article 370

New Delhi, Aug 21: The BJP will carry out a nationwide campaign on the Union government's decision to abrogate Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 of the Constitution, and will reach out to 2,000 prominent personalities from the fields of film, sport and academia among others.

The party has started working on organising a 'Jan Jagran Abhiyan' (public awareness campaign) on the matter and will hold indoor meetings at state and district levels across the country, a party leader told PTI.

With assembly elections in four states around the corner, the party is keen to keep the emotive issue alive among the masses as it seeks to draw maximum political mileage following the decision which, it believes, has popular endorsement. At the same time, the party also wants to check the opposition's propaganda on the issue.

Small indoor meetings at 370 different locations across the country with 500-1000 opinion makers at the district level, and 35 big indoor meetings having gathering of 2,000 people will be held at capitals of all states and Union territories in the country, the party leader said. BJP's top brass, including its president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, may also address some of these indoor meetings at the state level. Besides this, a special drive will be carried out to reach out to 2,000 prominent personalities of the country, they said.

A list of such personalities is being prepared which will include people from different walks of life such as film, sport, academia, media and legal fraternity. The party had formed a committee to carry out this campaign. It includes Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Dharamendra Pradhan and Jitendra Singh.

Besides them, former Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, party's MP from Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgyal and another MP Tejaswi Surya are members of this committee.

The panel is chaired by BJP working president JP Nadda, and party general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh, vice-president Baijayant Panda and its national secretary Y Satya Kumar are also its members. The first meeting of the panel was held on Tuesday where the leaders deliberated on the "positive feedback" from the ground and give the final touches to the campaign.

PTI