Kashmir violence: Amarnath Yatra resumes from Jammu after 2-day delay
Jammu: Amid tight security, Amarnath yatra resumed this evening from Jammu after remaining suspended for two days due to violent protests in Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
"Amarnath yatra has resumed this evening from here. A batch of 3500 pilgrims left from Bagwatinagar base camp for Baltal and Pahalgam," Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Simrandeep Singh said.
The yatra was suspended on July 9 in the wake of violence in the Valley following the killing of the top Hizbul Mujahideen commander.
About 25,000 Amarnath pilgrims who had been stranded at twin base-camps of Baltal and Pahalgam following the outbreak of widespread violence in Kashmir Valley, have been evacuated.
These pilgrims after leaving the base-camps at Baltal in 1,741 buses and other vehicles at dawn on Monday for winter capital Jammu, have crossed the Jawahar Tunnel connecting the troubled Valley with Jammu region through Pirpanjal mountain ridge, police in Srinagar said.
Read: Kashmir violence: Death toll rises to 25, curfew extended to more parts
As the 94-km Jammu-Srinagar highway, the vital road link connecting the Kashmir Valley with rest of the country, is shut since Saturday night, no pilgrim was allowed to move from the winter capital towards the Valley to relocate to the 12,729-foot-high cave-shrine tucked away in Pahalgam hills in south Kashmir. Special arrangement was on Monday made for the stranded pilgrims to take them out of the Valley under heavy police escort, official sources said.
Meanwhile, fresh batches of pilgrims who were camping at Baltal and Pahalgam for past couple of days were on Monday morning allowed to proceed towards the cave-shrine. “Yatra was released from Baltal and Pahalgam towards holy cave this morning. Till Noon, 2,462 yatris left these camps for darshan at Amarnath,” a statement issued by police here said. It added that the air services are also going on smoothly and 449 pilgrims left to the cave-shrine by helicopters from Baltal and Chandanwari near Pahalgam to have darshan of the Ice Lingam. As many 2,799 pilgrims have paid obeisance at Amarnath till noon on Monday, which brings the total number of the worshippers who have visited the revered cave-shrine, so far, this year to 128,946.
Jammu and Kashmir government confirmed that the convoys of fresh pilgrims camping in winter capital Jammu “did not proceed towards the base-camps of Pahalgam and Baltal because of law and order considerations”.
An official spokesman said that PK Tripathi, CEO of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), has been in constant touch with the J&K police authorities and has issued the requisite instructions to the Yatra Camp Directors from time to time “to ensure that the maximum possible number of pilgrims is enabled to complete their pilgrimage”.
A statement from the J&K government said that the State Cabinet which met in Srinagar on Sunday reviewed the overall security situation, including issues relating to the safety of tourists and pilgrims. Governor NN Vohra who is the chairman of the SASB held a meeting with the State Chief Secretary, DGP and Home Secretary on Monday to review the various issues relating to the yatra.
