The Jammu and Kashmir unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to organize ‘Ekatma Mahatsav’ rally to mark the fifth anniversary of Article 370 abrogation in Srinagar, on Monday. The event will be held at Bana Singh Stadium in RS Pura to celebrate the complete unification of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India on August 5, 2019, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. J-K BJP general secretary and former MLC Vibodh Gupta highlighted the significance of the day, “The day of August 5, 2019, is a very important day in our lives. On this vital day five years ago, a historic blunder was corrected and we, the people of Jammu and Kashmir, united completely with the rest of India. We are now able to enjoy all the rights and the liberties, and are progressing on the path of development.”
The organizers are taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the attendees by deploying heightened security across the region. Despite the security measures, some opposition parties, including the Congress and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have criticized the BJP’s decision to hold the rally.
Protests against the event are scheduled to take place outside the BJP party headquarters in Gandhinagar, Srinagar. Additionally, Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) will hold a protest at Maharaja Hari Singh Park to condemn the Article 370 abrogation. The Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said to answer the people, especially Dogras. The BJP should explain what was achieved in five years instead of piling salt on their wounds.
Sharma took a potshot at the J-K BJP for showing “shamelessness and compulsion to celebrate the day of J-K’s destruction,” while the PDP declared August 5, 2019, as a “black day” in Jammu and Kashmir.
Security forces will be on high alert across the Jammu region, particularly along the highways, to prevent any untoward incidents or disturbances during the event. The ‘Ekatma Mahatsav’ rally serves to acknowledge the spirit of J-K’s people and underline the BJP’s commitment to maintain peace and stability in the region.
