Omar again asks BJP to abandon Kashmir yatra

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story Srinagar, Jan 13: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today again asked the Bharatiya Janata Party to halt its Kashmir yatra intended to culminate in hoisting the national flag at Lal Chowk, the historic city centre here, on Republic Day on Jan 26.Addressing a public meeting in the Zainakadal area in the old city, he said that after hoisting the national flag in Lal Chowk in 1992, the party has again embarked on hoisting the tri-colour at the same place after 19 years."This has exposed their intentions of creating trouble in the Valley," the chief minister said adding "the situation in Kashmir has improved after serious endeavours".Abdullah had earlier also warned the BJP against unfurling of the Indian tricolor at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, saying that "BJP alone would be responsible for the consequences".Meanwhile, senior separatist leader and pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik called for a march to Lal Chowk on Jan 26.Malik said the moderate Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq has supported the march which he said will be the "non-violent, democratic reply to the BJP".BJP president Nitin Gadkari Wednesday launched the Rashtriya Ekta Yatra from Kolkata that would conclude in Lal Chowk on Republic Day.Abdullah said that separatist leaders of the Hurriyat Conference were now speaking openly about the killers of two of the prominent leaders, Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone."Time has now come to stop all kind of bloodshed in Kashmir and proactive role should be played to solve the Kashmir issue through dialogue process.""Whether it is the Gee! lani-led Hurriyat or the Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat group they should read the writing on the wall and realize that dialogue is the only solution to all the issues," he said.He urged the Hurriyat leaders to meet the Kashmir interlocutors, saying that "they have good intention and full mandate of the centre to have a dialogue with all groups and submit their recommendations".The chief minister said whatever recommendations will be submitted by these interlocutors, the central government will consider them positively. (IANS)