THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Bharaitya Janata Party (BJP) chief Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Thursday demanded that the center announce a “firm date” for bringing back the displaced citizens of India to Jammu and Kashmir Addressing a news conference here in the course of his 15-day “unity march” called “Ekta Yatra”, from the country’s southern tip Kanayakumari to Kashmir, Dr. Joshi said home minister, S B Chavan, should clarify what steps had been taken to restore the property to the original owners so that they could live as free citizens of India in Kashmir state.
Dr. Joshi wanted the government to take some “concrete steps immediately to restore the civil nights of these “unfortunate” citizens, who had been subjected to “worst torture and brutalities by militants in Kashmir”.
Dr. Joshi, who began his 15,000 km journey Wednesday, described as “tremendous” the response of the people on the first day.
He said the people’s over- whelming response proved that the propaganda against the journey by various political parties were “tendentious, mischievous and a deliberate attempt to break the country’s unity”.
The Pro-Hindu BJP insists that the “unity march” 1s to combat militants in Jammu and Kashmir who are trying to break away from the country.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 20, 1991
