Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, June 29 : Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that the State of Jammu and Kashmir is going through the last phase of militancy and hoped that there will be absolute peace and normalcy before the end of 2020.
Dr Jitendra Singh, who was addressing a congregation of religious heads and Sadhu-Sants ,after performing traditional “Pooja” at the Devika Ghat where the work is under progress for rejuvenation of river Devika under National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) at a budget of nearly Rs 190 crore, expressed confidence that the Amarnath Yatra beginning on Monday will be absolutely peaceful and by next year, when the Amarnath Yatra commences, there will be no need even to discuss the security issues.
He said, the religious leaders and the society had always stood up and taken a stand whenever there was injustice meted out to them. He recalled, how in 2008 the entire society stood up together for the cause of Amarnath Yatra.
Referring to river Devika, Dr Jitendra Singh said, for us Devika is not simply a river but a matter of holy faith. He hoped that one day, some historians or commentators will try to analyze as to why the work of cleaning and beautification of river Devika was not taken up by those who represented this constituency in the Parliament and union Ministries for nearly six decades before 2014.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, secularism can not be practiced by cutting of one’s roots from one’s religion but, on the contrary, a truly religious person will automatically be secular, regardless of whichever faith he subscribes to.
Later, Dr Jitendra Singh went around the site of river Devika project, accompanied by District Development Commissioner, senior Engineers including S S Rana Chief Engineer and other officers. He said, this complex will not only be confined to the creation of cremation Ghats alone but it will emerge as a state-of-art Recreation cum tourism destination. In the second half of the day Dr Jitendra Singh reviewed the project of river Devika at a separate meeting and issued instructions to get it completed within one year timeline.
Besides the prominent members of religious community and Sadhu-Sants, others who were present on the occasion included former Minister Pawan Gupta, BJP State Vice President Pawan Khajuria, President Udhampur Municipal Council Dr Jogeshwar Gupta, Deputy Mayor Jammu Purnima Sharma, BJP District President Rakesh Gupta and others.
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