SRINAGAR: In a first, BJP on Monday held a Tiranga rally at historic Ghanta Ghar in Srinagar and flagged off the first-ever “Tiranga Bikers Rally” from Srinagar to Kargil to mark the Kargil Vijay Diwas.
A sizable number of BJP workers including the female workers attended the Tiranga rally. Majority of the workers attending the rally were holding the tri-colour. The party workers chanted pro-India slogans while waving the tri-colour.
The holding of Tiranga rally by BJP in city centre Lal Chowk holds significance as the place has been traditionally a bastion of separatist politics.
The Clock Tower area and its adjoining areas were sealed many times in the past to foil separatist rallies and marches in the area.
The Clock Tower area has also witnessed many militant attacks including the fidayeen attacks by militants. Tight security arrangements were put in place for the BJP’s Tiranga rally.
The roads leading to the Ghanta Ghar were sealed and security men in strength were deployed in the area.
The flag-off event near the historic Ghanta Ghar' (clock tower) in Lal Chowk was held amidst unprecedented security arrangements as the whole area was sealed and security forces, including senior officers, were present in large numbers.
The security forces used drones to keep an eye on the event for which traffic and public movement was diverted.
The city centre used to be a stronghold of the separatists in the erstwhile state of J-K.
In the 2008 and 2010 unrest, the separatists used to call for peoples' march to Lal Chowk, demanding freedom.
On Monday, 'Azadi' slogans of a different kind reverberated at the city centre.
The BJP leaders raised slogans of 'Azad Hindustan Zindabad', 'Akhand Bharat Zindabad', and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' among others.
They waived the tricolour and sang patriotic songs.
While many political parties have held events, including hoisting of tricolour, at the Lal Chowk before as well, this is the first time such a rally was organised by any political party to pay tributes to soldiers who lost their lives in the Kargil War.
A police official said about 100 bikes were part of the rally in which members of the BJYM from different parts of the country participated.
The rally will culminate at the Kargil War Memorial on Tuesday, on the occasion of Vijay Divas.
Speaking at the event, Chug trained guns at the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said the twin families of Abdullah's and Mufti's ruled Jammu and Kashmir for the past 70 years "but made it a terrorism capital, while the Prime Minister has made it a tourism capital and took it on a path of progress".
"Mehbooba lives some yards away from here. She used to say that if you revoke (Article) 370, then you will not find hands to hoist the tricolour. I want to tell her that come to Lal Chowk and see the residents of Kashmir holding the tiranga. Every person has a tiranga in his heart," Chug said, asking people to raise the slogan of 'Azad Hindustan' in a loud voice so that it reaches Muftis and Abdullahs.
Targeting Abdullahs and Muftis, Chug said they used to claim that Article 370 cannot be abrogated, but Modi made it possible.
"This is a state where a new story of development is being written. The works undertaken by Modi are speaking loud. Modi gave a sense of development, security, and belief to the people of J-K."
"The three families, Abdullah and sons, Mufti and sons, and Nehru and sons -- had plundered J-K and they still want to plunder it more by forming Gupkar alliance. But, the people of J-K do not accept them now. In today's motorcycle rally, the country's youth are marching for making India of Modi's dreams, a powerful India," the BJP leader said.
He said Kashmir couldn't move forward in 70 years, but the "properties of these three families increased by many folds".
"Sometime they demand talks with Pakistan and sometimes with China, but I want to tell them that the youth of India will only talk to the youth of India. The central government and the BJP will meet and listen to the youth of Kashmir," he said.
Chug said the bikers rally was organised to pay tributes to the fallen soldiers of the Kargil War.
"These youth including the youth from different parts of the valley are going to Kargil where India's sons sacrificed their life but did not budge even an inch of the country's land," he said.
Neha Joshi, national vice president, BJYM, Delhi, said she is proud to be a part of the historic event.
"This yatra has been organised by the youth of Kashmir. We have come here to become a witness of this historic event and take this message to the different corners of the country," she said.
Article 370 was not only a constitutional barrier in the way of Jammu and Kashmir's full integration with India, but also posed as a cultural and psychological hurdle, BJP's Tejasvi Surya said here on Monday.
Article 370, that granted the erstwhile state of J&K special status, was abrogated by the Centre in August 2019.
Surya, the president of the party's youth wing, was here to flag off the first-ever Tiranga bikers rally from Lal Chowk to Kargil War Memorial.
Speaking at the historic 'Ghanta Ghar' (clock tower), Surya said after the abrogation of Article 370, development came to Kashmir and the valley is now 'done with terror.'
"Kashmir is done with terrorism and is on the path of development. We used to hear and read every day about terrorist attacks, stone-pelting, Hurriyat-issued calendars, but today, the same Kashmir is known for its hydro-electric power projects, new expressway, IITs, AIIMS, IIMs, new central universities and new initiatives of development."
"This is happening because Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated 370," he said.
The BJP leader said Article 370 was a cultural and psychological barrier "which did not allow us to complete the constitutional vision of 'Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat'.
"When Article 370 was there, the youths of Kashmir were bereft of any opportunities. For education opportunities they were compelled to go to Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru. But a world class education is now available in Kashmir only and there is no need to go outside," he said.
"This is the transformation that Modi has brought."
The Bengaluru South MP also claimed that the revocation of Article 370 empowered women and reserved category people in the Union Territory.
"We are at an opportune time in history where the next 25 years will determine the peaceful, prosperous future of J&K and the rest of Bharat," he said.
After the independence, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee called for Kashmir's complete constitutional integration with India, and it was Modi who fulfilled that job, he said.
"Now, it is our responsibility to take forward this work of constitutional integration and do J&K's complete cultural, social and economic de-integration.
"This is an important civilisational task that the young of India and young of Kashmir must take," he said.
Surya said tourism and terrorism cannot co-exist in Kashmir.
"Kashmir saw the highest tourist footfall in its history this year only. Lakhs of youth got employment opportunities because of tourism. This has proved one thing -- tourism and terrorism cannot co-exist," he said.
"The youth of Kashmir today has proved that they are against terrorism, want to end it, and avail new opportunities in tourism. This is the new path of development that young people of Kashmir have started," he said.
Surya also appealed to young industrialists, entrepreneurs, investors, and visionaries from across the country to invest in Kashmir.
"New industries should be started in Kashmir, new colleges, medical schools, start-ups be set up in Kashmir."
"The youth of Kashmir are hard working, intelligent and because of the lack of opportunities, they have not progressed. The unicorns of India's tomorrow must come from Kashmir. Leaders who can lead the country should come from Kashmir," he said.
Surya said the rule of two families has come to a full stop after the abrogation of Article 370 apparently referring to Abdullahs and Muftis, members of which families ruled the state at different times.
"Mehbooba Mufti or Omar Abdullah's shops have shut. Democracy is flourishing at the panchayat level, grassroots level today in a spirited manner. I have met many young leaders. New parties are coming up here which are working on the nationalistic agenda rather than the separatist agenda," he said.
Pakistani-sponsored elements continue to attack young activists from BJP to destroy the democracy in Kashmir, he said, as he paid tributes to the BJP workers killed by militants in the valley.
Towards the end, the BJP leader read out a few verses from an anti-war poem by Pandit Deenanath Kaul 'Nadim' which talks about a "new dawn" and a "better future."
Students and teachers asked to shell out Rs 20
SRINAGAR: Even as the Kashmir administration is saying that “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign is voluntary, the education officials in two separate circulars in the union territory have asked the students and teachers to pay Rs 20 while shopkeepers in South Kashmir’s Anantnag were warned to pay Rs 20 or face action.
The order issued on July 16 stated that in case of more than one student belonging to the same family, charges from only one student be collected as per instructions.
"As per the directions from the Chief Education Officer Budgam, all the HOIs (heads of institutions) of this zone are asked to collect Rs 20 per head from the students and the staff members of the school to deposit the same in ZEO office within four days," the circular read.
"In case of more than one student belonging to same family, charges from only student be collected as per instructions," it said.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former MLA from Chrar-e-Sharief Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura posted a copy of the circular on social media and questioned the administration for making the contribution "compulsory".
"Sad to see such orders being issued which contradict Div Com's (Divisional Commissioner's) statement that 'Har Ghar Tiranga' is totally a voluntary movement and there is no compulsion & insistence in it.
Admin must realize that nationalism comes naturally & can't be imposed through the barrel of a gun," Hanjura tweeted.
Budgam deputy chief education officer Inderjeet Singh, however, said the circular was issued erroneously and the contribution is voluntary.
He said the zonal education officer concerned has already issued a corrigendum to the circular.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had on Sunday posted a video on Twitter in which employees of an urban body in Anantnag were purportedly making announcements on a public address system asking the shopkeepers to contribute Rs 20 each for the flag in order to "avoid trouble".
"We appeal to the shopkeepers to deposit Rs 20 with the municipal body, which issues the trade license to you, by 12.00 noon on Monday. This is under the order of district administration Anantnag for the Har Ghar Tiranga movement launched by the government. Those who do not deposit these Rs 20 might face action for it" So, to save the trouble, we appeal to you to deposit the amount," the shopkeepers were allegedly told.
"The manner in which J&K admin is forcing students, shopkeepers & employees to pay for national flag to hoist it is as if Kashmir is an enemy territory that needs to be captured. Patriotism comes naturally & can't be imposed," Mehbooba had tweeted with the video.
Hanjura also questioned the administration's decision to shut down two schools in Lal Chowk on Monday to facilitate Vijay Diwas Tiranga Yatra taken out by the BJP.
"Roads leading to Ghanta Ghar, Lal Chowk have been blocked, shops shut & a school (Tyndale Biscoe & Mallinson) in the vicinity too has been shut on a Monday just so that a political party can showcase their nationalism. The claims of 'change' & 'normalcy' post 2019 stand exposed," he tweeted.
(With PTI Inputs)