Jammu, Sept 28: The state Bharatiya Janata Party today called for a shutdown here on September 30 against steps announced by the Centre to address the crisis in the Valley, saying the “Kashmir centric” formula was aimed at ‘appeasing separatists and saving Omar government.’
 “It was decided to observe Jammu bandh on September 30. The bandh is to protest against Kashmir-centric 8-point formula formulated to save Omar government by appeasing separatists,” Pradesh BJP president, Shamsher Singh Manhas said after a party meeting here today.
 The slew of measures announced by the Centre have been prepared at the instance of state government to “appease separatists” so that Omar government continues in power, he said.
 Calling for dismissal of state government, he criticized the Centre for giving it a clean chit and considering excluding certain areas from the purview of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, saying it would not be in the interest of people nor peace.
 Claiming the support of many organizations to the bandh, he said it was also in protest against policies of the UPA and the NC-Congress government in which Jammu has been “ignored and discriminated against”.
 Transport, hotel, trade and business community in Jammu also suffered a lot during the 63-day land row agitation in 2008 with many people sacrificing their lives, but there is no one to think about them, he said.
 “While families of protesters who died in Kashmir have got Rs 5 lakh as compensation, the kin of those killed in Jammu during the land row got just Rs one lakh,” he said terming it as an act of “gross discrimination” against people of the region.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 28 Sep 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:00:00 IST