Jammu, Feb 16: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will launch India-wide agitation from Feb 25 against the government’s policy of amnesty to militants who want to return from Pakistani-administered Kashmir.
 The agitation will be launched by BJP president Nitin Gadkari, who will arrive in this winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir on Feb 25, according to a BJP state unit president Shamsher Singh Manhas.
 “The president will highlight the inherent dangers in the policy,” Manhas told reporters here Tuesday. “The party has taken a serious view of the developments in which national security was being compromised by the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government.”
 “To make the people aware of the dangers that would come along with the general amnesty for militants returning from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the BJP will launch a campaign at the national level. The starting point would be Jammu,” Manhas said.
 On Feb 7, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah declared that the government should seriously consider the return of militants from Pakistani-administered Kashmir to bring normalcy to the state. “It was the need of the hour,” he said.
 On Feb 11, central Home Minister P. Chidambaram endorsed the state’s policy and said that steps would be taken for its implementation.
 Opposing the policy, Manhas said the agitation would include demonstrations in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Lucknow and other major cities.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 IST