Indore: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday
demanded that this year's Amarnath pilgrimage should begin on
Jyeshth Poornima, June 15, and not on June 30 as scheduled and
that duration of the two-month yatra should not be curtailed
by fifteen days.
"It is ridiculous and an anti-Hindu move for the Jammu
and Kashmir Governor to announce the start of Amarnath yatra
from June 30 instead of June 15," said Prakash Sharma, VHP's
national spokesman, at a press conference here.
"Amarnath yatra always runs for two months, that is, from
Jyeshth Poornima to Raksha Bandhan. Why the J and K government
took a unilateral decision to curtail yatra from 60 days to 45
days? It has hurt the sentiments of Hindu community," he said.
"It appears to be a conspiracy of so-called secular
governments to do away with Amarnath Yatra gradually as J and
K government is supporting Muslim fundamentalists and
neglecting Hindus," he alleged.
He said VHP and Bajrang Dal would provide all facilities
to those wanting to start yatra on June 15.
"If schedule is not revised, VHP would launch agitation,"
Sharma said.
He also lambasted Swami Agnivesh's reported statement
that the shiv linga at Amarnath was man-made and demanded that
Agnivesh should apologise to Hindus, or should be arrested.
"It is highly derogatory... it clearly showed that he is
speaking language of Muslim fundamentalists," Sharma said,
adding that Agnivesh's income and lifestyle be probed.
On charges of 'Hindu' terrorism, he claimed it was
"fiction" and a conspiracy of Congress government to malign
RSS and others.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, May 22, 2011, 15:40