BJP contemplating 8216;Amarnath rath yatra8217;

With the controversial Amarnath yatra coming to an end on Saturday, BJP office bearers will hold an 8216;important8217; meeting on Monday to discuss ways to keep the issue alive in public memory.

One of the means to ensure this would be to hold a rath yatra led by either BJP President Rajnath Singh or by the party8217;s prime ministerial candidate L K Advani.

8220;The Amarnath issue is not going to settle down. It is a fight between the nationalists and the separatists. What is the harm if the party takes up a campaign to mobilise public opinion in favour of the nationalist forces?8221; a top party leader said.

A rath yatra is one of the desirable options but it is yet to be finalised, he added.

According to sources, the VHP is against the BJP taking up a campaign on the Amarnath issue.

8220;The parishad is concerned that the Amarnath issue would have the same fate as the Ayodhya issue. It is a matter of further discussion. The party has not finalised anything else yet,8221; another party leader said.