news details |
|
|
| BJP forgets Balidan Divas; ministers busy preparing for Martyrs' Day rally in Srinagar | | |
Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 9: The BJP might have this year failed to uphold its tradition of observing Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee's 'Balidan Diwas' at Lakhanpur, the gateway to J&K, but the Housing ministry headed by this party is busy making arrangements for July 13 Martyrs Day commemoration here when separatist leaders are scheduled to rally in old city.
On Thursday, a team from Srinagar Municipal Corporation(SMC), the civic body which falls under the domain of Housing ministry headed by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, undertook a massive sanitation drive in the areas falling in and around the Martyrs' graveyard in the downtown.
Led by senior officials, the team also toured Malkhah, Srinagar's biggest graveyard, and its adjoining areas.
Another sanitation drive was underway, not so far away at the Martyrs' graveyard, Naqshbandh Sahib shrine where SMC Commissioner Tufail Mattoo had an on-the-spot inspection.
Officials said the drive would continue for the next three days particularly in old Srinagar which houses the Martyrs' graveyard and the Memorial Park near the Hari Parbat fort.
Some 400 sweepers were pressed into service for the sanitation drive. "To please minsters and separatist leaders these officials are sucking our blood in this month of fasting when we deserved some relaxation," a group of sweepers said.
While the government is busy with the arrangements, the separatists have called for a mega show of unity on the day. The Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has said that July 13 would be observed jointly as 'Youm-e-Tajdeed' (The day of resolve).
Mirwaiz said he, along with senior separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Geelani and JKLF chairman Yasin Malik would offer noon prayers at Jamia Masjid and later they would lead a big procession towards the Martyrs' Graveyard where they would address people.
The SMC has this year often been facilitating arrangements for such controversial events. Earlier, in May the civic made similar arrangements for the separatist rallies held in old Srinagar in connection with the death anniversary of Mirwaiz Molvi Farooq.
The SMC, however, has been trying to downplay the issue, saying special sanitation drives are routine exercises. "Today also it was done in connection with visit of ministers to downtown and thus doesn't need to be politicized," said a senior official, pleading anonymity. "Moreover we worked on the instructions of ministers and other lawmakers to improve sanitation," he added.
Whether or not the BJP would be red-faced over these developments, but the party in June this year, for the first time in last 61 years, failed to observe Mukherjee's 'Balidan Diwas' at Lakhanpur.
Nationalist forces had taken a serious note of the issue, saying that after coming to power the party could not hold a function at Lakhanpur to observe the martyrdom day of late Mukherjee who was arrested from here in 1953 and after breaking permit system was lodged in a jail at Srinagar where he died in mysterious circumstances.
As already reported by Early Times, BJP failed to hold even a symbolic program on his martyrdom day at Lakhanpur or Kathua township and no party leader from district Kathua showed any interest in organizing the function.
BJP in past had held many rallies at Lakhanpur to commemorate Dr Mukherjee's entry into the state to break the permit system. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi two years ago held his first ever rally at Madhopur in Punjab, signifying the entry of Dr Mukherjee to J&K from this point.
Dr Mukherjee, who was the founder president of Bhartiya Jan Sangh, had led a rally to J&K to support the Praja Parishad movement in Jammu for total integration of J&K with rest of India.
Meanwhile, despite repeated attempts Dr Nirmal Singh could not be contacted for comments. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
