Govt stops ‘Tiranga Yatra’ from entering Kashmir

Govt stops ‘Tiranga Yatra’ from entering KashmirThe PDP-BJP coalition government has stopped the ‘Tiranga yatra’, being undertaken by a group of youths who want to hoist the Tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.
The five youths, who belong to the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency of the Prime Minister, are undertaking the rally to inculcate “patriotism” in the younger generation.
Interestingly, on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has taken out ‘Tiranga yatras’ all over the country to reach out to the electorate with a message of national unity and amity but in J&K, the state government has stopped ‘nationalist’ youths from conducting a similar exercise, taking the excuse of the law and order issue.
“We were detained by the police near Jammu Railway Station and taken to the nearby police station,” said Devender Kumar Pathak, who is heading the yatra. “We were told that the law and order situation was not conducive in the Valley so it was better to go back,” he added.
“Being an Indian, I have all the right to hoist the national flag anywhere in the country. It is unfortunate that the J&K Government, of which the nationalist BJP is a partner, has stopped us from proceeding to Srinagar,” said Pathak. He said stopping the rally had exposed the double standards of the BJP.
“Everyday, miscreants are disgracing the national flag in the Kashmir valley and openly hoisting the Pakistan and ISIS flags. We want to hoist the Tricolour there to give a message to such forces but unfortunately, the BJP government has stopped us,” he said.
The other four youths accompanying Pathak are Chander Shekhar, Rameshwar Sawhney, Lalan Prashad Prajapati and Krishan Kant Ojha.
The BJP is facing criticism for taking out the ‘Tiranga yatra’ in Jammu because party ministers had not supported non-local students of the NIT-Srinagar when they had dared to hoist the national flag on the campus.
The five youths are members of the Manav Adhikar Jan Shakti Party and are at present putting up at Circuit House, Jammu.
“We don’t want to disturb peace in the state, but will make an effort today to move further. If stopped, we will sit on a hunger strike till Independence Day and hoist the national flag in Jammu and move back with a message that the coalition government in J&K has acceded Jammu and Kashmir to the separatists and other forces,” said Pathak.

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