BJP to make Amarnath land row a national issue: Jaitley

JAMMU: The BJP on Saturday announced its full support to the ongoing agitation in Jammu over the Amarnath land row, saying the party will make it a national issue.

"We are supporting the agitation and going to make it a national issue with a programme already chalked out for holding demonstrations and presentation of memoranda at Raj Bhavans in capital cities across the country on August 11, 12 and 13", BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley told mediapersons on Saturday.

Party workers will hold massive demonstrations and court arrests throughout the country during these three days in support of the demand of the people of Jammu, he said.

Criticising the authorities for first giving land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) and then taking it back under pressure from separatists, Jaitely said this had hurt the feelings of people in Jammu who feel that nationalists are being alienated.

"Their demand for giving land to SASB to run the affairs of the yatra is justified and the government should confine itself to managing other facilities like muncipality etc," he said.

Blaming the state and central governments for escalating tension in the region, Jaitley said suppression only aggravates movements.