The stopping of BJP's flag yatra in Jammu and Kashmir had its echo at a meeting of a key MCD panel today with the ruling BJP members creating a ruckus,raising slogans and passing a condemnation resolution. As soon as the meeting of the MCD Standing Committee started,BJP members,carrying tricolour flags,raised slogans like 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Kashmir Hamara Hai' (Kashmir is ours). The sloganeering went on for nearly half-an-hour before the meeting was adjourned without taking up the agenda. BJP councillors also came to the well and shouted slogans against Congress,accusing it of supporting a government in Jammu and Kashmir which is "resorting to undemocratic practices". Amid the din,a condemnation resolution was passed against the stopping of the BJP youth wing BJYM's 'Ekta Yatra' at Lakhanpur border in Jammu and Kashmir and arrest of senior BJP leaders like Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley. The BJYM and BJP activists wanted to proceed to Srinagar to hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on the Republic Day but were stopped at the state border. BJP councillors called it a "shame on democracy" and a move reminiscent of the days of Emergency. They accused the state government of strengthening the hands of separatists and said Congress "has no place to hide its face". Leader of Opposition in MCD J K Sharma later told reporters that the move of the ruling side in stalling the MCD meeting was "illogical". "The ruling party has the responsibility of running the meeting. If they love the flag so much they can hoist it at their homes,in their areas.no,all they want is to vitiate the atmosphere and create division in society," he alleged. Deputy Chairperson of Standing Committee Sarita Chaudhry,however,said,"We wanted to send a message by stalling the meeting. There was high emotion involved."
