SRINAGAR:The BJP, which along with the PDP, runs the coalition Government in the Jammu and Kashmir, on Friday dared woman separatist leader and chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat Asiya Andrabi, who at a gathering of women hoisted Pakistani flag and sang the Islamic Republic’s national anthem at an undisclosed place, to do that in public.
Asiya had released a video in which she and over two dozen burqa-clad women were seen hoisting Pakistani flag in a closed room at an undisclosed location to mark the neighbouring country’s Independence Day.
The woman separatist leader and others present in the room also sang Pakistani national anthem. The women were also seen sporting Pakistani flag pins.
The BJP dared Asiya to hoist the Pakistan flag at an open ground rather than doing it with the confines of her house. BJP spokesman Khalid Jehangir said Asiya has often claimed that Afzal Guru, who was hanged for his role in 2001 Parliament attack, was a role model for Kashmir youth and his path should be followed.
“However, her two sons are studying in Malaysia. She has ensured that her sons remain safe, but she wants the other Kashmiri youth to take up arms and end up in graveyards,” he said. The BJP spokesman said if Asiya were indeed obsessed with the idea of Pakistan and inclined towards hoisting of Pakistani flags, she should do it in the open and ask both her sons to lead from the front. “Asiya’s family has made lot of money by selling the blood of innocent young boys who became victims of their propaganda,” he said.
Police, on a tip-off, had on Thursday evening conducted a raid on Asiya’s residence here to detain her. “We had prior inputs that she may hoist Pakistani flags. However, she was not present at her residence,” a police officer said adding that a case will be registered.
Pakistani flags were also spotted at Tral town of Pulwama, Redwani, Khudwani and Bogam areas of Kulgam in South Kashmir and parts of Bandipora and Sopore in North Kashmir.