Special plans are in place for the BJP to celebrate August 5 as a historic day in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. On this day last year, the Bill to abrogate Article 370 and abolish Section 35A of the Constitution was passed by the Rajya Sabha under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Under party president JP Nadda, the BJP has devised a 'One India Campaign' or 'Ek Bharat, Ek Atma Bharat'. Nadda has personally taken an interest in ensuring that the message reaches out to every booth and to the mandal level.
The central BJP has special plans for the same in a nationwide campaign. However, all eyes will be on the J&K state unit to make this a success.
The state unit has decided on a 15-day campaign to tell people how August 5 should be celebrated each year "as the brightest date of their lives". Plans include holding virtual meetings, publishing handouts and distributing them, with the idea being to tell people that all strata of society, including Gorkhas, Dalits among others, will get their rights after several decades.
On August 5 in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the national flag will be hoisted at every panchayat and the national anthem will be sung between 9am and 11am. Earthen lamps will be lit in the evening in every house.
"The wall of alienation that gave way to separatism and terrorism has now been abolished," state BJP President Ravinder Raina told CNN-News18. "This has now given rise to nationalism and our dream of a unified India has been fulfilled. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. All attempts to break it have been abolished."
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, an MP from Udhampur, said, "This has totally broken the barriers set up to block development all these years. All citizen rights are now ensured of the people of my state, including voting rights. Many parties were deliberately holding to ransom the rights of our people for their political gains. People have been liberated."
The BJP has also planned nationwide celebrations. Party general secretary Arun Singh has written a letter, seen by CNN-News18, to his colleagues in which he talks about organising virtual rallies, 'sampark' campaign with intellectuals, virtual media conferences and social media campaigns. A message from the top leaders of the party is also likely to be broadcast.
With the coronavirus menace looming large, the intent of the central government to complete the delimitation process and ensure that elections in the region can take place at the earliest has taken a backseat. However, the state and central leadership of the BJP have held several meetings in J&K and in Delhi on the issues.
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