Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 20: Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Shiv Sena has demanded that the annual Shri Amarnath Yatra registration, beginning on July 3, be made free of cost and that devotees be provided with complimentary bus services from Jammu to Baltal and Pahalgam.
Addressing a press conference at the party’s state central office, J&K head Manish Sahni strongly criticized the Amarnath Shrine Board for imposing a registration fee on pilgrims. He reiterated that he has been opposing this charge for years, but the Shrine Board remains unyielding. “On one hand, there are claims to promote religious and cultural tourism, but on the other, an additional financial burden is being placed on devotees through this registration fee,” Sahni stated.
Sahni further drew historical parallels, saying that the fee on a Hindu religious pilgrimage evokes memories of the Jazia tax from the Mughal period. He urged J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and abolish the registration fee. Highlighting the disparity, Sahni pointed out that before the reorganization of J&K in 2019, the registration fee was only Rs 50. However, under the current administration of the Lieutenant Governor, it has increased to Rs 150 for online registration and Rs 250 for offline registration.
He also called upon BJP MLAs to raise this issue in the Legislative Assembly and push for free registration and transport services for pilgrims. Additionally, he urged Omar Abdullah to provide free bus services from Jammu to Pahalgam and Baltal, emphasizing that such a move by the Chief Minister of a Muslim-majority region would symbolize communal harmony and set a strong example of interfaith brotherhood.
Alongside Sahni, general secretary Vikas Bakshi and city president Rohan Malwal were also present at the press conference.
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