Was circular on J-K flag withdrawn under pressure?, asks Omar Abdullah

Jammu, Mar 19: Opposition leader and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday asked whether the government circular regarding hoisting of the state flag along with national flag was withdrawn under pressure from BJP or RSS.

"What was the compulsion for the government to withdraw it?. Had a call come from Nagpur (RSS headquarters)?. I cannot understand the reason for withdrawal," Omar said while speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the Governor's address.

"If in haste you issued the circular and later withdrew it, there might have been a phone call you got from anywhere. Is it Nagpur...Delhi or Jhandewalan...it might have come from somewhere?" he said.

RSS office in Delhi is located at Jhandewalan. "What was the necessity to issue a circular by the government. We learnt that they had to do it because of the court. If they had issue it then why was it withdrawn," he said.

The state government had issued a circular last week whereby it was mentioned that the state flag will be used along with the national tri-colour by all government and Constitutional authorities.

However, the same order was withdrawn next day citing that the circular had not been vetted by an appropriate authority. "You said about inquiry...there is no need of it. I have been incharge of GAD, I know the order is issued only after it is vetted from the top," Omar said and criticised Deputy Chief Nirmal Singh over his allegation of internal sabotage for issuance of the circular.

BJP has been fighting for one Constitution and one Flag in the country but preferred to remain silent on the issue when the Common Minimum Programme(CMP) of PDP-BJP alliance was finalised.

PTI