Mangalore: The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, B Janardhana Poojary today (Sep 01, 2004) challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to hoist the national flag at the Pak-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

"If they (BJP) have the guts, let them hoist the flag at PoK", he said, addressing a rally of party workers in connection with the Uma Bharti case in Mangalore.

It is unfortunate that Sangha Parivar and BJP leaders including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Opposition leader in Lok Sabha L K Advani are trying to protect Bharti in the name of the national flag, he alleged.

Describing the firebrand BJP leader as a "criminal" he took exception to the "preferential treatment" given to her by the State Government by lodging her in Karnataka Agriculture University in Dharwad, which was converted into a temporary jail.

Urging the party workers to conduct a "house to house campaign" in all villages to inform people about the "conspiracy" launched by the BJP, he said the campaign would continue till Sept 10.

Later the district congress committee presented a memorandum to Chief Minister Dharam Singh through the Deputy Commissioner, Arvind Srivastava.