Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 29: VHP today accused Amarnath Yatra Shrine Board of failing to make devotees aware about the yatra regulations.
“It was rude and inhuman to push back a large number of yatris without allowing them to pay obeisance to lord Shiva,” VHP State president Ramakant Dubey told reporters here.
Around 12,000 yatris proceeding to Amarnath shrine were turned back from Pahalgam and Kangan yesterday for not carrying registration permits or carrying permits for a later date.
Dubey said, “Such a large number of yatris cannot reach the entry gates of Baltal and Nunwan without the knowledge of administration…The incident shows mismanagement of SASB and administration in educating public about the yatra regulations through mass media.”
“SASB and the state administration spend lakhs of rupees on publicity to attract tourists but they proved a total failure in educating the Amarnath Yatris,” he said.
For the first time, the access control agencies are carrying out thorough checks of Amarnath pilgrims and their documentation before allowing them to proceed.
He also condemned the removal of subsidy on ration to be supplied to yatris and demanded that the same of restored failing which VHP and Bajrang Dal will resort to agitation.
Sunil Dimple president Jammu West Assembly Movement has appealed the SASB to deal patiently with the Amarnath piligrims, while strongly condemned the Police lathi -charge on them yesterday.
He said the situation could have been easily avoided and tackled patiently.
Dimple warned that in future if yatris were subjected to lathicharge people will resort to agitaton.
Shri Ram Sena has also strongly condemned the cane charged on innocent Amarnath pilgrims who came from different states of the country.
In a statement issued here, State president of Sena, Rajiv Mahajan lambasted State Government for not allowing Yatris to move towards holy cave and they were returned back from Manigam, Ganderbal and Nunwan -Pahalgam.
He urged SASB to install Yatra registrations counter at Baltal and Nunwan base camps also for those who visiting first time to perform Yatra.
Meanwhile a meeting of social activists was held at Muthi today under the chairmanship of Ramesh Ji in which serious concern was expressed over the lathi charge on Amarnath pilgrims and turning back about 12,000 unregistered pilgrims.
Terming it a serious issue the meeting demanded that such an act will not be tolerated in future. It demanded opening of more counters for the registration of pilgrims in Valley so that those yatris who come from thousands of kilometers away for the darshan of Bhole Baba are allowed to pay their obeisance in holy cave.
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