Advani, Rajnath Singh may not go to Jammu

Both leaders were expected to jointly address a rally of the Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti in Jammu on August 25. But the Samiti said it did not favour politicising its protests.Special coverage

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh and prime ministerial candidate LK Advani may not go to troubled Jammu the coming week, the party indicated on Tuesday.

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But BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said the party was in touch with the Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti, whose demand for the allotment of land for the Amarnath shrine board has provoked bitter protests in the Kashmir Valley.

Advani and Rajnath Singh were expected to jointly address a rally of the Sangharsh Samiti in Jammu on August 25. But the Samiti has said it did not favour politicising its protests.

“We cannot say about the proposed rally yet. But we are working in close coordination with the Samiti and extend our full support to it," said spokesman Prasad. "Discussion are on and media would be informed about the decision.”

The BJP also called Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari “irresponsible” for calling the Sangharsh Samiti “the other side of Hurriyat”.

“We strongly condemn the statement of Congress spokesman. This is downright irresponsible and is in line with the partisan politics Congress has pursued in Jammu and Kashmir,” Prasad said.

“We would like to know whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi share the same thoughts. It is appeasement of the worst level,” he added.