Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 20: Vishaw Hindu Parishad (VHP) today accused Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) of delaying the arrangements and registration process of holy Amarnath pilgrims.
It appears the SASB is working to make the holy Amarnath yatra a total failure, VHP patron Dr Rama Kant Dubey told reporters here today. The way the Board is working shows that Amarnath yatra will not catch up fully, he added.
He said the Government was working under the pressure of separatists on yatra but now it appears that the Board is also working under the pressure of separatists. There are crisis, chaos and confusion in Kashmir Valley at present and when the Yatra is just over 10 days away no proper arrangements have been made by Shrine Board for the pilgrims so far, he added.
He said still Shrine Board can do a lot in attracting more yatris to holy cave as till date only 1.7 lakh pilgrims have been registered for annual pilgrimage this year.
Dr Dubey said that there is provision of 15000 pilgrims to leave for holy cave daily from two tracks besides 2500 pilgrims can travel to cave shrine by air every day. If going by this the total number of pilgrims visiting the holy cave during 59 days of pilgrimage can touch over 10 lakh but the registration made so far by the Board is far less, he added.
Dr Dubey, both Shrine Board and State Government have ignored the VHP and Baba Amarnath Yatri Niyas in yatra arrangements- the two organizations responsible for running the yatra in past. These two organizations have played a lot of role in running the yatra in past and Government should take them into confidence for Yatra arrangements in future too, he added.
The VHP leader while taking serious exception to drama created by some separatist organizations in Valley on annual yatra said this drama will continue there always but the Government should take effective steps to make the yatra a success by involving both electronic and print media.
Dr Dubey said that anti-yatra elements in Valley are playing a lead role in making propaganda against the pilgrimage and creating a fear psychosis in the minds of people outside the State intending to have annual pilgrimage this year and Government should take on such elements for smooth conduct of yatra.
Dr Dubey said that the sincere people who would have been helpful in making the yatra a success are being overshadowed by anti yatra agencies who have links with anti national elements. Moreover the reports of track clearance are not also encouraging and this could be also a cause of hampering yatra.
Moreover allowing setting up of lesser number of community kitchens at various places on yatra route and denial of on spot registration through Baba Amarnath and Budda Amarnath Yatri Niyas a wing of VHP can also be one of the reasons to lesser response to registration, he said.
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