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BJP plans protests

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party is planning nationwide protests against withdrawal of land allocation for Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board in Kashmir, senior leaders indicated here on Monday.

“This will certainly be an electoral issue for us,” a senior leader told The Hindu, adding the party leadership could hardly believe that it had been given on a platter an emotive religious issue that would “reverberate nationally” ahead of the crucial Assembly elections due later this year and a possible Lok Sabha election ahead of May 2009, when it is due.

BJP president Rajnath Singh has convened a meeting of the core committee-plus select important leaders here for Tuesday.

The party’s prime ministerial candidate, L.K. Advani, will attend. A strategy will be decided, including the forms of protest to be organised in coordination with other Sangh Parivar outfits.

BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “There is consensus in the country that regardless of the religious denomination, arrangements are made wherever pilgrims gather in large numbers.

“For thousands of years, pilgrims have been going to Amarnath and many Muslims have also involved themselves in serving the pilgrims. We are seriously concerned that some fundamentalist groups and some political parties have made a big issue of temporary arrangements for Amarnath pilgrims.

“The BJP has serious reservations about the manner in which the new Governor [N.N. Vohra] has surrendered on this issue [withdrawing the order giving land to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board for creation of temporary facilities for pilgrims].”

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