Rejecting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's warning, the youth wing of Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday said no one could stop them from hoisting the national flag at Srinagar's Lal Chowk on Republic Day.
"The statement made by Omar Abdullah is irresponsible. No one stop can us from hoisting the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar," BJYM state president Munish Sharma said in a statement in Jammu on Friday.
He alleged that Omar Abdullah had made the statement at the behest of separatists. On January 5, the J&K Chief Minister had criticised the 'Kashmir Chalo' rally of the youth wing of the BJP and its plan to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on January 26.
Omar had said that the BJP would be responsible for "any repercussions" in the Valley and had alleged that the party wanted to "set the Valley on fire".
Sharma alleged that the Omar government had failed to maintain law and order in the state and the Chief Minister was now giving excuses on security related matters.
"If he cannot maintain law and order in Kashmir Valley, it's better for him to step down from the post of Chief Minister," the BJP youth leader said.
He said the state government may itself erect hurdles and disturb the yatra to seek sympathy of separatists and anti-national elements.
"It is the government who is trying to create chaos and confusion among the masses in the state," he said, adding that every citizen of the country has the right to hoist the tricolour at any place.
"BJYM activists from all parts of the country will hoist the national flag in a peaceful manner at Lal Chowk on January 26," he said. Sharma said the party's central leadership has already decided the programme for the yatra and the state unit will actively follow it.
"The Rashtriya Ekta Yatra will start from Kolkata on January 12. Covering 14 states and a distance of over 30,000 kms, it will reach Srinagar on January 26 when BJYM activists will hoist tricolour at Lal Chowk and pay homage to martyrs of Kashmir - Brigadier Rajinder Singh and Maqbool Sherwani at Uri and Baramulla," he said.
BJYM activists will also honour the family of Maqbool Sherwani on this occasion, Sharma said.
