Excelsior Correspondent
REASI, Dec 10: The pilgrimage to the world famous Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine was once again disrupted today when hundreds of Ponneywalas and Pithuwalas staged protest blocking the track to shrine.
The protesting labourers were up in arms against proposed battery car service from Katra town to the Shrine. They raised slogans against Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board authorities. Due to the protest, ongoing Yatra remained disrupted for some time this morning thus inviting Police action.
As SSP Reasi, Sujit Kumar personally reached the spot, Police arrested the protesting labourers, who were released in the evening.
Even as the protesting labourers lifted their dharna following Police action, they went ahead with their strike and didn’t carry the pilgrims or their luggage to and fro Katra and Bhawan.
According to SSP Sujit Kumar , the yatra was running smoothly and the protesting labourers were released after their assurance in written for peaceful protest in future. We have also suggested them to hold talks with the Shrine Board officials for their problem getting redressed at the earliest, he added.
Earlier, a large number of labourers, comprising Ponywalas and Pithus, assembled on Vaishno Devi track this morning and started protest under the leadership of Bhupinder Singh, who alleged that the Shrine Board was forcing them to stage protest by converting the newly constructed Katra-Adhkunwari track into motorable road. Motorable track will hit the poor labourers, who are dependent on the income from carrying pilgrims, he added.
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