New Delhi, June 21: Expressing resentment over the denial of US visa to a senior BJP leader, Dr Jitendra Singh, from Jammu and Kashmir, the party today said separatists were getting easy visas whereas nationalist leaders were being denied the same. It asked the Centre to spell out its stand on the issue.
 “While the separatist leaders from Kashmir were promptly provided visas to travel to USA and other countries, the same were denied to nationalist leaders,” said BJP spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, asking the government to clear its stand on the issue.
 The BJP has also decided to take up the issue at the highest level with the American Embassy as well as the Indian Government.
 The BJP was outrageous after its national executive member and chief spokesperson for Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Jitendra Singh was denied visa and debarred from traveling to Washington as a member of the high profile eight-member BJP delegation to attend an interactive meet organized by “International Republican Institute” and Republican Party of America from June 20.
 Hussain said this also raises a serious question mark on the functioning of Congress-led government at the Centre and Congress-National Conference coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir which control the agencies providing inputs regarding leaders traveling abroad.
 “Such incidents send wrong signals among the nationalistic and patriotic sections”, said the BJP leader, adding that “We will not let the voice of patriotism get stifled”.
 Singh was to present the nationalist viewpoint on sensitive issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir, as well as India’s crucial foreign relations with Pakistan, China and other countries at the meet, claimed the BJP.
 Accusing the Centre of being pro-separatist, Hussain said, “Such intimidatory tactics at the behest of separatist-friendly UPA would not discourage the BJP from stepping up its tirade against such forces.”

Lastupdate on : Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 IST