Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 4: All Parties Migrants Co-ordination Committee (APMCC), the organisers of Kounsarnag Yatra from Kulgam district in South Kashmir , today directly blamed National Conference and Omar Abdullah Government besides some mischief mongers among separatists, mainstream political parties, media and intellegentia for creating unnecessary controversy over Kashmiri Pandits pilgrimage to Kounsarnag.
This holy shrine is known as Kramsaras Tirtha (VishnuPaad) among Kashmiri Pandits as per the ancient Hindu scriptures dating back to Puranic period, APMCC, chief Vinod Pandit,, its national spokesperson King C Bharti and its general secretary Arun Kandroo told reporters here, today.
They alleged that the National Conference (NC) as well as separatists tried to create communal disturbances and a wedge between the two communities of Kashmir with an eye on the forthcoming elections in the State.
They said that the controversy regarding the yatra was created by the National Conference MLC, Dr Basheer Ahmed Veeri who deliberately linked the yatra with that of the Reasi Yatra even though they had nothing to do with it besides the number was mischievously increased from 40 to 4000.
Lambasting the Government they accused it of facilitating the floating of so called Save Kounsarnag Front (SKF) where it was directly said that Kashmir belongs to Muslims only to rake up the emotions in Kashmir and initiate an anti-KP wave with an eye on the forthcoming elections.
They cautioned the people of Kashmir from playing into the hands of NC who were using them as cannon fodder to fight the elections using communal card.
Vinod Pandit, said that they had informed the district administration one and a half month before about their yatra and that there will be around 40 yatris only after which the district administration issued instructions to other departments to facilitate the trial yatra and later the final yatra.
He said that at no point of time had they claimed hundreds or thousands of yatries are visiting the shrine.
He said that figure of 4000 was attached deliberately to create commotion which led to present situation creating not only a wedge between the communities but also fear psychosis that KPs will be harmed if they return to their places of residence as the attack on minority picket was a proof of the same.
King Bharati, said that it was a calculated mischief and the entire conspiracy was hatched by someone somewhere to create trouble for the Kashmiri Pandits who wanted to return by inciting the local people against them with clear political motives.
He also asked Congress party to make their stand clear as their own members and Ministers were issuing contradictory statements regarding the yatra.
Bharati questioned the wisdom of those opposing the yatra of 40 people once a year saying if a visit for two hours by 40 Kashmiri Pandits can pollute the area how would the Government, the separatists and some intellectual type politicians justify that declaring Kounsarnag as round the year tourist destination, would preserve the ecology of the area. This shows an anti KP lobby is active in Kashmir who is opposite to the return of Pandits whom they forced to leave Kashmir on gun point in 1989-90.
The Government, separatists, politicians and intellectuals have accepted that it was a tourist destination they have only ensured that this pristine lake is ruined the same way that they did to Gulmarg, Pehalgam and Dal Lake, he added.
He said that common Kashmiri has been befooled by some vested interests by hiding the fact and inciting them against Kashmiri Pandits who are equal state subjects like them which has only exposed the so called secular myth of Kashmiriyat as it was clear these people are against Kashmiri Pandits and not pollution any more.
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