Gadkari justifies BJP’s action in Jammu and Kashmir

Police detain BJP workers as they shout slogans against Jammu and Kashmir government during a protest in Jammu on Monday.

Describing as “unfortunate” the detention of its senior leaders in Jammu, Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday rubbished charges that it was playing politics over hoisting the national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.

“Some people say there is politics in hoisting the national flag at Lal Chowk. I don’t understand what politics can there be in hoisting the flag... This is not politics but our duty,” BJP president Nitin Gadkari said.

He was speaking to reporters after hoisting the national flag at the party headquarters here.

Mr. Gadkari alleged that the Centre and Omar Abdullah government were bowing to pressure from the separatists.

Terming the detention of senior leaders Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Anant Kumar as unfortunate, Mr. Gadkari said he was still hopeful that “some of our party workers will manage to unfurl the flag at Lal Chowk.”

Two party workers were arrested today while trying to enter Lal Chowk.

Meanwhile, former party president Rajnath Singh ended his hunger strike over the issue this morning after Mr. Gadkari requested him to do so.

“I requested him not to be on hunger strike on a national festival,” he said.

Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman said the party has not been able to get in touch with the detained senior leaders.