A large number of Kashmiri men, women and children, holding the tricolor in their hands and chanting pro-India slogans, on Monday, assembled at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, which was once a stronghold of separatists. They came to participate in an event held here to witness the flag-off of the first-ever Tiranga Bikers rally organised by BJP’s youth wing – Bhartiya Yuva Morcha (BJYM).
The Bikers Rally to the Kargil War Memorial in Drass area of the Ladakh was flagged off by the BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chug and President BJYM, Tejasvi Surya. The rally was organised in the city centre to pay tributes to the fallen soldiers of the 1999 Kargil War. This is the first time such a rally was organised in Kashmir by a political party to pay tributes to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Kargil War with Pakistan.
The event near the historic ‘Ghanta Ghar’ (clock tower) at Lal Chowk, which was out of bounds for those who aspired to display the National Flag before abrogation of the Article 370 in 2019, 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.
In its reaction, the PDP strongly criticised restrictions on movement at the Lal Chowk during the event. Senior PDP leader and former minister, Naeem Akhtar, tweeted; “Azadi ka Mahotsav at the historic the Lal Chowk where Jawaharlal Nehru made tall promises to Kashmir. 75 years later, it’s barricaded to keep Kashmiris off. Azadi Mubarak India”.
Another PDP leader, Ghulam Nabi Lone, also took to twitter saying, “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”.
Tejasvi Surya, a BJP leader from Karnataka, said, “Tricolour, 1st unfurled at Lal Chowk in 1948, continues to symbolise idea of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshta Bharat’. Each time it was brought down, Indians have risen to hoist it again.This moment was possible only due to efforts of Narendra Modi”
“Children, women, men, all have gathered in huge numbers and great enthusiasm was visible for the historic Tiranga Yatra from Srinagar to Kargil.”
Tejasvi said that more than 200 BJYM activists from across the country participated in the rally have brought soil from martyr’s homes for being presented at the War Memorial at Dras in Kargil.
He said that “in 1992, PM Narendra Modi had unfurled the National Flag at Lal Chowk during ‘Ekta Yatra’ led by the then BJP President Murali Manohar Joshi. 30 years later, thanks to the abrogation of Article 370 by Modi and Amit Shah, the BJYM unfurled the Tiranga at the Lal Chowk.
Training guns at the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), BJP leader, Chug, said the twin families of Abdullahs and Muftis ruled Jammu and Kashmir for the past 70 years, “but made it a terrorism capital, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi 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 carry 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.
“A new story of development is being written in J&K. 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 – Abdullahs, Muftis and Nehrus – 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.
“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.
BJP’s J&K president, Ravinder Raina, said that the Tiranga is “our identity and it belongs to everyone irrespective of religion, caste and creed.”