BJP to launch nationwide 'jail bharo' agitation June 17

The BJP will launch a nationwide "Jail Bharo Aandolan" - fil jais agitation - from June 17 to June 30 against "scams, corruption, price-rise and misuse of constitutional institutions" by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, a party leader said Friday.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that party workers will court arrest at district and state headquarters during the protest.

He said senior leaders will take part in the agitation on June 25 and 26 to mark the anniversary of the imposition of Emergency in 1975.

"The manner in which Congress is using constitutional institutions, agencies against its political opponents even today and the manner in which it is attacking on democratic, constitutional and parliamentary values is bringing back memories of Emergency," Naqvi said.

He said senior leaders, including Rajanth Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Murli Manohar Joshi, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari, will lead the party's agitation at different places. The party's members of parliament and legislatures will also take part in it.

The agitation, slated to begin last month, was deferred in view of Maoist attack on a Congress rally in Chhattisgarh last month that killed 28 people, including some senior state Congress leaders.