SRINAGAR, June 28:
About 600 unregistered yatris today protested at Nunwan Pahalgam base camp after they were not allowed to proceed towards the Holy Amarnath cave shrine, on the first day of the pilgrimage.
Majority of these pilgrims were not holding ‘ Yatra permit’ while others had travel documents for other dates, official sources said.
As the unregistered and unscheduled yatris, numbering about 600 approached the ‘Access Control Gate’, they were stopped by police as directed by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) that no yatri without yatra permit would be allowed to undertake the pilgrimage.
They protested and raised slogans against the SASB for about an hour.
Similarly, a large number of unregistered yatris had also reached Baltal base camp, where they were stopped.
Official sources said these yatris in their own vehicles posed as tourists going to Sonamarg. However, instead of going to Sonmarg they reached Baltal.
They also protested, demanding that they should be allowed to move towards the cave shrine.
The SASB had made it clear time and again that no unregistered yatri will be allowed to proceed towards the cave shrine. Similarly those holding yatra permit will have to undertake the pilgrimage on same date and through the particular track.
A police spokesman meanwhile, said here this afternoon that 12,000 unregistered Yatris and also those with later date registration were returned from Pahalgam and Manigam Baltal base camps.
He said according to District police Anantnag, 8,000 unregistered Yatris and Yatris with later date registration were sent back from Pahalgam.
As per the District police Ganderbal 4000 unregistered Yatris and Yatris with later date registration were also sent back from Manigam.
Police has once again requested the pilgrims to register themselves as per the guideline of SASB and visit on the specified date of registration schedule.
Besides, he said, the pilgrims are also requested to adhere to the specified Yatra routes only, wherein ‘P’ stands for Pahalgam route vehicles and ‘B’ stands for Baltal route. (AGENCIES)
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