Police foils VHP bid to take out procession

Nadda, Mahamandleashwar among several arrested
Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, June 4: Police on the second day today foiled the VHP bid to take out a peaceful procession in the city here in protest against the failure of Government to grant permission for starting of Amarnath Yatra from yesterday by arresting Amarnath bound pilgrims including prominent saints, VHP, Bajrang Dal (BD) and BJP leaders at Parade.
To avert any untoward incident a big pose of police was deployed in Parade. But both sides maintained a total restraint and did not allow the situation to aggravate.
The pilgrims were led by Mahamandleshwar of Haridwar Swami Divyanand Ji Mahraj. Besides him other prominent leaders who were arrested included BJP national general secretary, J P Nadda, Party MP Tarun Vijay, State BJP chief, Shamsher Singh Manhas, MLA Ashok Khajuria, BJP National Executive Member and chief spokesperson of the State, Dr Jitendra Singh and MLA Sham Choudhary, Suresh Jamwal Judver Sethi & Usha Choudhary. However they were released later in the afternoon.
Earlier the Amarnath bound VHP, BJP and BD activists took out a Shav Yatra from Geeta Bhawan to Parade and torched the effigy of Government in front of Brahman Sabha.
To register their protest against the action of State Government and Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) which refused permission to VHP to start pilgrimage from yesterday in view of bad weather conditions in the cave shrine area and non clearance of snow bound tracks, eight BD activists also tonsured their skulls.
Raising slogans against the Board and Government the yatris said that they are ready to face bullets and lathis to have darshan of Lord Shiva in holy cave. (Lathi Goli Khain Gay, Amarnath Jaiya Gay). As the procession came out from Geeta Bhawan , Bum Bum Boley and Jaikara Veer Bajrangay slogans rent the air.
Addressing the protestors Tarun Vijay said BJP fully backs VHP in this movement. He criticized the Government and SASB of working in an arbitrary manner saying the Amarnath yatra was a Constitutional right and no one can stop the Hindus from having the darshan at Holy Cave.
He also criticized the role of State Governor, N N Vohra who heads the SASB and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and accused them of sabotaging the yatra to please the separatists.
Tarun Vijay regretted that the yatra, which was earlier run for four -months has been now reduced to 45 days and appealed the Hindus to unite.
The VHP State president Dr Rama Kant Dubey while justifying the decision to start yatra from Jesht Purnima said it has the Puranic evidence that yatra used to run from Jesht Purnima to Sawan Purnima.
Later talking to reporters, VHP national spokesman Dr Surinder Jain accused the Board of its total failure in fulfilling the promise of performing pooja on Jesht Purnima at Holy Cave. He said instead of performing Pooja at Holy Cave it was performed at Chandanwari by Chief Executive Officer of the SASB.
He said the Board is indulging in one after another conspiracy to dampen the spirits of VHP, which has decided to start yatra on Jesht Purnima. But it (Board) has been fully exposed now.
Dr Jain made an appeal to the President of India to recall the Governor who has failed to perform duties failing which the VHP will launch a nation-wide agitation.
Dr Jain also criticized the administration and alleged that they repeated their yesterday action by arresting the Amarnath bound pilgrims today again.
He said the third Jatha of yatris will again try to leave for Holy Cave tomorrow and some political parties including BSP have also assured VHP of their support.