ASSERTING that Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) would not tolerate curtailment of the period of Amaranth Yatra, its international general secretary, Parveen Bhai Togadia said Bajrang Dal activists would guard the yatra, if the State Government is unable to provide security to the pilgrims.
“In no case, curtailment will be tolerated in Amarnath yatra period as it is a religious issue and in case, the Government fails to provide security during this period, Bajrang Dal will depute its own activists for a secure and smooth yatra,” Dr Togadia told.
The VHP leader said Government has no right to hurt the sentiments of any community or religion, adding “yatra will not start as per Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) calendar on June 29 but as per previous schedule on June 15 and in case, no security arrangements, VHP will arrange its own security structure.”
The VHP international general secretary Dr Parveen Bhai Togadia who was on two days tour of Jammu region made it clear that no interference in the yatra schedule will be allowed either by the Board or the Government.
Dr Togadia said as Government has no right to change the date and time of the religious festivals of other communities then they can’t change the schedule of Amarnath yatra. Togadia said that in case the Government is unable to provide security to Amarnath pilgrims the VHP will deploy one lakh Bajrangis from all over the country for this purpose.
He said he has specially visited the state for this purpose and wanted to know why the Board is curtailing the yatra. When in entire country Government is promoting pilgrimage tourism why the Governor is hell bent to hit the pilgrimage tourism in J&K.
Expressing resentment, Dr Togadia said, “The Yatra is being curtailed under well planned conspiracy by the vested interests.” He said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wants to run the yatra for two months but he is under the constant pressure from UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, PDP senior leader and former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Syed and separatists who want that the duration of yatra be curtailed.
Dr Togadia who was flanked by Baba Amarnath Yatri Niyas president, Surinder Aggarwal and VHP, State chief, Dr Rama Kant Dubey, asked when Government is promoting pilgrimage tourism all over the country why the J&K Governor is hell bent to curtail the yatra and hit the trade in the State? “Whether Governor likes it or not the yatra will run for complete two months’’ he added.
Warning the Government not to create a controversy on holy Amarnath yatra once again as it will lead to the another movement he said the decision has hurt the sentiments of entire Hindu community throughout the globe.
He said these are only the Hindus of the country who can decide the date and schedule of the yatra and not the Government. He also made it clear that if some langer people are unable to run the langers for two months they can wind up at any time as the Niyas is in a position to run more langers.
It may be recalled that Board has cut the yatra schedule by 15 days after announcing the yatra date by June 19 instead of June 15. This has been strongly resisted by Hindu organisations including Niyas which announced to run the yatra by June 15 and start the registration from May 1.
