Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 5: Senior BJP leader, Raman Suri has urged the authorities to take the issue of restrictions on Shiv Khori Yatra seriously as the matter is not only related to faith but also directly connected with the livelihood and economic survival of thousands of locals there.
In a handout, Suri said that devotees and businessmen have expressed strong resentment, pointing out that just a few months after the terror attack of Pahalgam, all the tourist destinations in Kashmir were reopened but restrictions on Shiv Khori devotees are still continuing which has created anger among yatra across the region.
He said that the Shiv Khori Yatra was restricted two years back after a terrorist attack on a bus carrying pilgrims and these restrictions continue even today. “Before the attack, around 8,000 to 10,000 devotees used to visit daily but now the number has dropped drastically to only 1,200 to 1,500 yatra per day due to administrative restrictions,” the BJP leader maintained adding that this has badly affected the livelihood of thousands of people associated with the Yatra.
He said that public anger is growing and the recent shutdown of Ransoo market and the strike by horse and Palki operators clearly reflect the frustration among locals.
Suri urged the administration to immediately resolve the issue.
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