Author: Administration on tenterhooks
Publication: Greaterkashmir.com
Date: June 2, 2012
URL: http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2012/Jun/3/vhp-activists-reach-jammu-to-start-yatra-today-54.asp

 The civil and police administration is on tenterhooks following reports of thousands of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists having reached to Jammu to start the annual Amarnath Yatra from tomorrow in defiance of the government schedule of June 25.

 Sources said that the administration was having sleepless nights and making every effort to foil the purported Yatra from Jammu before the official date on the call of VHP.

 It was learnt that the police have been keeping close watch on the hotels and lodges, besides Inns run by various religious Trusts as many VHP activists have reportedly reached the winter capital.    

 Pertinently, Vishwa Hindu Parishad is adamant on starting the Yatra from Jyesht Purnima ( June 3) and has announced that  Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Bharti would lead a group  of activists  to the cave shrine on June 3. On the other hand Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has been repeatedly saying that the yatra cannot be started earlier as the tracks to the cave shrine were still under snow which would impede the smooth conduct of pilgrimage

 Sources said that while most of the activists are staying in dharmashalas in and around the city, the administration has made heavy deployment in the city to foil the attempt of VHP to move towards the Valley.

 Meanwhile, VHP has alleged that the administration has snapped water and power supply to all the places where yatris are staying   and also ordered the private transporters to cancel all booking for taking pilgrims to the Valley.

 They said Regional Transport Office Jammu ordered the private transporters to cancel all bookings and threatened to cancel their route permits if found violating the order.

 It alleged that the government has deployed police at Railway station, Lakhanpur for restricting the entry of Amarnath Yatris,  while four buses coming from Dehli and Punjab carrying pilgrims were stopped at Lakhanpur  sent back last night.

 The VHP state president, Rama Kant Dubey accused government of adopting “dictatorial attitude” and said it was using all undemocratic means to hurt the religious sentiments of a particular community.