Srinagar/Jammu, Jan 23: In the backdrop of BJP plans to hoist the tri-colour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, Governor NN Vohra Sunday said no political issue should disturb the January 26 celebrations in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Maintenance of peace, harmony and amity are a must during the celebrations and no political or other issue should be allowed to disturb the event,” he said.
The President of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz urged the Bhartiya Janata Party to desist from hoisting the tri-colour in Lal Chowk on January 26.
“January 26 would be celebrated as usual in Jammu and Kashmir. The national flag will be hoisted at the Maulana Azad Stadium, Jammu and Bakshi Stadium, Srinagar and at the district headquarters throughout the state and it is expected that a large number of people will attend these functions,” Soz said in a statement from New Delhi.
“The BJP leaders and cadres would naturally be welcome to join the celebrations wherever the flag hoisting ceremony will be held. They must, however, desist from hoisting the flag at Lal Chowk as the action might be perceived by some elements as provocation which should be avoided.”
 Soz urged the BJP leadership not to adopt a course of action that can invite “unsavory reaction and acrimony.”
 Meanwhile the CPI (M) state secretary and MLA Kulgam Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami Sunday flayed the Bhartiya Janata Party for being adamant on hoisting the tri-colour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on January 26, asserting that the party along with RSS has once again embarked on its old pastime “of whipping up frenzy against minorities.”
 In a statement issued here Sunday, Tarigami accused the Hindutwa Brigade of using the national flag only for Muslim bashing. “RSS does not use tri-color in its functions. The RSS headquarter at Nagpur does not hoist it nor do the RSS men display it in daily parades,” he said, adding that the flag for them is meant to whip up frenzy against minorities to strengthen vote bank politics.
 He said BJP’s choice of hoisting the flag in Srinagar alone and not elsewhere in the country is aimed at gaining political mileage by sharpening communal polarization in the state. “In the garb of national flag they are basically dividing people in effect,” Tarigami said.
 Stating that BJP has a history of fishing in troubled waters to seek political advantage and sharpening communal polarization, he said the Amarnath Yatra Movement that it spearheaded in 2008 resulted in widespread dislocation of normal life and strengthened the alienation between the two religious communities and between Jammu and Kashmir valley.
 He stressed on united efforts to defeat communal and disruptive forces and said the party devoid of any genuine issue has now chosen Jammu and Kashmir for its game plan.
 He expressed hope that the secular people of Jammu and Kashmir will not allow them to succeed in their nefarious designs.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 23 Jan 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 23 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 IST