VHP activists slam J&K Govt. for curtailing Amarnath yatra

Jyeshtha Krushna 5, Kaliyug Varsha 5114

New Delhi : Activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday criticized the Jammu and Kashmir Government for curtailing the annual Amarnath pilgrimage.

A group of activists headed by VHP spokesperson, Surinder Jain, arrived here today to meet President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, and press their demand to increase the duration of the annual Hindu Amarnath pilgrimage after the Jammu and Kashmir Government took the decision to reduce it.

Jain said that they had sent their demands to President Patil through an email.

"We demand the state government (in Jammu and Kashmir) to expand the roads, built hospitals, and inns for the pilgrims. Instead of doing all this they are doing all that which they should not do. The duration of the pilgrimage was 60 days by the order of the High Court," said Jain.

"However, they are continuously decreasing the duration and they have now reduced it to 39 days," he added.

Jain lashed at the state government for working at the behest of the separatists and fulfilling their vested interests.

"The intention of the state government is not right. The people of the Hurriyat in 2009 had said that they would not allow the pilgrimage duration to exceed for more than 30 days. We feel that the government is fulfilling working on their orders and fulfilling their demands and our agitation is going on from the last four days," he added.

Jain further threatened to intensify their agitation and added that they would launch a nation-wide movement against the decision of the state government.

The activists also slammed the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), headed by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Narinder Nath Vohra, for curtailing the decreasing the duration of pilgrimage to 39 days, which was 60 days in 2009.

Source : News Track India