NEW DELHI, Aug 5: The BJP today urged Jammu and Kashmir government to allow the Kashmiri Pandits to undertake the annual pilgrimage to Kounsar Nag — a glacial spring in Pirpanjal mountain range in South Kashmir.
The state government had earlier given permission for the yatra but later on withdrew the order under pressure from the Sepratists. The state government proposed
a separate route which was different from the traditional one, followed by the Kashmiri Pandits over the years. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, BJP member Avinash Rai
Khanna termed the withdrawal of permission to traditional pilgrimage ”against the values of secularism and democracy”. ”The pilgrimage was last held in 1980 and people were happy that it was started again but the state government again stopped it due to security concern.
”I urge the state government to not hurt the religious sentiments of migrant Kashmiri Pandit community,” he said. He added that tent workers, coolies, shopkeepers and others who were working for daily wages in South Kashmir would get work and money if the yatra continued.
(UNI)
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