The Vishwa Hindu Parishad welcomed the suo motu notice of the Supreme Court over the ever-increasing deaths of Amarnath pilgrims. The Court asked the authorities to explain the reasons for ‘the lack of proper medical and other facilities to the pilgrims.’ The court said 82 pilgrims losing their lives in 22 days (last year, 67 people died during the 45-day yatra) is indeed a matter of great concern.
In a statement issued in Delhi on July 17, VHP spokesperson Shri Prakash Sharma said that the questions that the Supreme Court has raised are being raised by the VHP but no authority paid attention to them. He alleged that the Amarnath Shrine Board which is supposed to provide facilities to the pilgrims is busy in making efforts to curtail the duration of the Yatra. He said 108 pilgrims lost their lives only in three weeks. Shri Sharma urged the Supreme Court to monitor the actions of the Shrine Board and the State government in this regard. (FOC)
