NEW DELHI, Jan 27 � Assam State president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Mriganka Barman was among six Party workers brutally beaten up by Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday, when they reached Lal Chowk in Srinagar to hoist the Indian flag.
All the six, who were detained by the Police, were later released and allowed to fly out of Kashmir Valley. Barman was part of a six-member delegation assigned by BJYM to reach Srinagar to hoist the flag on the occasion of the Republic Day, as part of the Ekta Yatra campaign.
Recounting his experience, Barman told this newspaper they flew down to Srinagar well in time to hoist the flag and despite thorough checking at the airport, they somehow managed to sneak out the Indian tricolour.
The delegation that included senior office-bearers of the party on Wednesday morning managed to reach Lal Chowk with the Tricolour, but was about 150 yards away from the Clock Tower, when security forces encircled them before brutally assaulting them.
They were taken to the nearby Police station and put inside a lock-up where the
police subjected them to third degree torture. �The police used abusive language and threatened us all through the day,� he alleged.
�It seems unbelievable how authorities could behave the way they did and use such anti-national terms,� he further alleged.
�While we were subjected to merciless beatings inside the lock-up, the Hurriyat Conference members, who too were picked up from the same area, were roaming around freely inside the Police Station,� Barman recounted.
The Police finally let us off at around 3.30 pm and allowed us to leave the Valley,� said Barman, who is currently recuperating here. �
Bharatiya Janata Party�s Ekta Yatra ended on Wednesday after senior leaders hoisted the tricolour at Kathua in the Jammu division.
The Jammu and Kashmir Government released the senior leaders after detaining them for the night. BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar, Shanta Kumar and BJYM president Anurag Thakur were among over 200 workers who were detained, while trying to enter Kashmir Valley.
