In a move being read as an attempt to keep the Amarnath agitation above the realm of party politics, the Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti (SASS) has reportedly asked BJP leaders L K Advani and Rajnath Singh to stay away from their rally on August 25.

Advani and Singh were scheduled to address a rally organised by SASS in Jammu on August 25. An announcement to this effect had even been made by BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday.

However, since SASS has members cutting across party lines, it ostensibly wants to keep its agitation above partisan politics.

While its convenor Leela Karan Sharma has an RSS affilitation, the second in command, D S Salathia, is
from the Congress. The agitation has also attracted locals drawn from various backgrounds and professions.

VHP leader Pravin Togadia had stated last week in a press conference that the Amarnath movement would be kept above party politics and hinted that even the BJP should stay off-limits.

The BJP, however, maintained that the delay was only a postponement. "Both Advani and Singh will address the Amarnath agitators but the date has been postponed by a few days," a BJP general secretary said.