Srinagar, May 30 (Indian Express): In a shocking display of brazenness, Pakistani flags were hoisted and the BJP party flag was burnt during a rally of senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

And the overt show of enraging defiance was all the more disturbing since it came in the wake of Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s stern message to the pro-Pakistan forces to fall in line or face the music.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesman Khalid Jehangir strongly condemned the hoisting of Pakistani flags and burning of the party flag. He said strict action as per law should be taken against those responsible.

Shah, who was once called ‘Prisoner of Conscience’ and ‘Nelson Mandela of Kashmir’, addressed a public rally at Lal Chowk area of Anantnag district, some 53 km from here,on Friday afternoon.

Address the gathering, Shah praised Pakistan for its endeavours towards resolution of Kashmir issue. “Despite being entangled in so many hardships, Pakistan never stepped back from lending political, diplomatic and moral support to us at the international level,” he said.

Slamming New Delhi for describing Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India, Shah said, “If India is so sure, then it should without any delay hold referendum in J&K and the results would be acceptable to us.”

And Shah’s supporters hoisted Pakistani flags and shouted anti-India slogans. The crowd also burnt the flag of the BJP, which is part of the coalition government in J&K.

Shah and his senior colleagues Mohammad Abdullah Tariq and Molvi Bashir were arrested while they were returning here after the rally. Police sources said an FIR was registered against Shah under the Unlawful Activities Act, in a local police station.

The hoisting of Pakistani flags on Friday was the latest incident of its kind witnessed at separatist rallies in J&K since April 15.

Hard-line separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani’s close aide Masarat Alam was arrested and booked under PSA on April 17 and jailed for hoisting Pakistani flags and chanting pro-Pakistan slogans during a separatist rally held on April 15 to greet Geelani on his return home from Delhi.

Pakistani flags were hoisted and pro-Pakistan slogans were chanted during Geelani’s rally in South Kashmir’s Tral town and moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s rally in Srinagar this month.