Author: PTI
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: August 20, 2008
Claiming that officials from Jammu were facing
intimidation in Kashmir, the BJP on Wednesday demanded that they be temporarily
withdrawn from the valley in the wake of the agitation over Amarnath land
issue.
"About 50 such personnel, who had come
to BJP office here, had narrated their woes about how they faced threats in
the valley in recent-past and were forced to quit different parts of the valley,"
State BJP president Ashok Khajuria said in Jammu.
Most of these officials belong to civil secretariat,
while others are posted in different wings of the Government department in
the valley, party's vice president Hari Om said.
These employees, they demanded, should be
retained with the divisional commissioner's office in Jammu temporarily till
situation normalises in valley and they themselves show their willingness
to return to their postings in Kashmir.
Asking authorities in Kashmir Valley not to
"deepen the communal divide", they said "they should learn
from the people of Jammu who have proved their secular credentials by ensuring
that no Kashmiri Muslim working in Jammu leaves for valley under duress or
threat".
They also alleged that senior officers were
trying to sabotage the ongoing agitation in Jammu for restoration of land
to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).
"We warn these officers, including the
chief secretary, the director general of police and director agricultural,
to desist from such pressure tactics or else they and their families will
face social boycott from Jammuites," Khajuria said. He said that the
BJP supports the ongoing agitation led by Shri Aamarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti
for restoration of land to SASB and recall of Governor NN Vohra.
"Ours is do or die agitation in Jammu,"
he said.
