First time ever in the history the holy Budha Amarnath pilgrimage to Poonch had to be cancelled by the administration leaving thousands of Hindus deeply enraged.
Despite all necessary arrangements and discussions with the organising groups the administration puff off the pilgrimage to Poonch which was scheduled to begin on August 3. A month-long Saawan Maas Yatra of Budhha Amarnath pilgrimage in the bordering Poonch district of Jammu division, which is conducted by the Bajrang Dal for a week for the last four years to strengthen the nationalist forces of this militancy effected border district. The volunteers of BD from every state take part in this yatra.
Bajrang Dal national convenor Prakash Sharma blamed the government for spoiling the Budha Amarnath yatra, and said over 500 people were sent back from the Jammu Tawi Railway Station by the administration, while over 1500 forced to languish at various places, including the yatra base camp at Bhagwati Nagar Jammu.
He said the way the VHP senior leader, Sadhvi Ritambra was not allowed beyond Jammu Airport and the leaders of VHP, BD were not allowed to meet her shows the high-handedness of the administration which has curbed all the democratic and religious rights of the people.
Sadhvi Ritambra also accused the Government of sending her back from Jammu to Delhi on Aug 2 where she had gone to participate in ?Budha Amarnath Yatra?, in the month of ?Sawan?. Claiming that the suspension of ?Budha Amarnath Yatra? has hurt the sentiments of Hindus, she said that the issue should have been handled properly to avoid controversies.
?The manner in which I was arrested at Jammu was an infringement on my democratic rights and the move of suspending the Yatra is shameful as it could have been avoided,? she told.
Several Hindu organiszations have taken strong exception to cancellation of the Budha Amarnath Yatra and debarring Sadhvi Ritambra from entering Jammu.
VHP leader Dr Rama Kant Dubey said that the government has once again played with sentiments of the Hindus and it will have to suffer for the same. He said that more than 20,000 youth from 20 states across the country had to join the Budha Amarnath Yatra from Jammu which the administration has upset. He warned of a countrywide backlash against cancellation of Budha Amarnath pilgrimage.
