Amarnath Yatra security ‘against people of Kashmir’: Mehbooba

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has said the security arrangements made for the ongoing AmarnathYatra were “against the people of Kashmir”, but Governor Satya Pal Malik defended the measures, citing the Pulwama militant attack.

Mufti, the President of the PDP, said the arrangements madefor the annual Yatra are causing inconvenience to the people of Kashmir.

   

“AmarnathYatra has been taking place for years. But,the arrangements made this year are against the people of Kashmir. I requestthe Governor to intervene in this matter,” she told reporters.

“Yatra signifies brotherhood. This year, thearrangements are done to trouble the locals. They cannot use the highway evenin emergencies… they are forced to wait for Yatris to pass.”

She was referring to the curbs imposed on movement ofcivilian traffic for two hours on certain parts of the Srinagar-Jammu NationalHighway for the movement of AmarnathYatris in convoys.

The Governor, on the other hand, defended the restrictionswhile saying that the duration has been reduced to two hours daily.

“You know what happened on the highway on February 14.The restrictions are necessary for the safety of the pilgrims,” he said.

Malik was referring to the incident in which aJaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into aCRPF convoy on the highway in Pulwama, killing 40 personnel of the paramilitaryforce.The 45-day long AmarnathYatra started on July 8and will end on August 15.

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