Srinagar, June 13: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which along Baba Amarnath Niyas (BAN) is adamant on sending the first batch of pilgrims to the cave shrine on June 14, today said it is still open to any “viable proposal” on yatra schedule from the government. Both the parties said that all arrangements have been made for the yatra and that the first batch will proceed towards the Amarnath shrine on the morning of June 14 from the parade grounds here. However, they said they are still open to any proposal from government which is free from bias.
“We have always maintained that we are open to any proposal which is free from any political bias, if they come up with genuine problem we will definitely listen to them,” said national spokesperson of the VHP Surinder Kumar Jain.Government has fixed June 29 for commencement of yatra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday made it clear that it won’t be able to allow anyone to proceed on the pilgrimage before the scheduled date. Jain ridiculed the government’s statement that yatra could not be started on the proposed date due to inclement weather.
“There is no mechanism through which one can judge the weather conditions six months in advance. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is deliberately trying to create hurdles in the yatra,” Jain alleged.Rejecting the charge, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand said, “The current chief minister is a secular leader and the government’s responsibility is to just facilitate the yatra.”
On the issue of reducing the duration of the yatra, Tara Chand said it was the prerogative of Governor-led SASB.Meanwhile, president of Niyas Surinder Mohan Aggarwal refuted reports of entering into a “secret understanding” with the state government over the commencement of yatra and said that neither his organisation nor VHP has deputed any representative to survey the route of the yatra.According to reports, Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Gautam Mengi and Shiv Sena state unit president Ashok Gupta yesterday left for the Valley to survey the route of the yatra on the insistence of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.
———PTI