Jammu, Jul 5: Hindustan Shiv Sena yesterday lodged a strong protest against the treatment meted to pilgrims visiting the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in South Kashmir and asked the government to stop extracting money from devotees on the pretext of changing registration dates.
Led by its president Rajesh Kesri, the activists raised slogans against the state government and also burnt effigies. The party, which is a faction of the Shiv Sena, condemned the use of force against the yatris at Pahalgam and Baltal and also alleged that people were asked to pay up to Rs 800 for changing the registration dates.
"We condemn the lathi charge on the yatris. They didn't even spare women. It was height of police atrocities," Kesri alleged.
"People are being forced to pay up to Rs 800 for changing the registration dates. If no tax is being imposed on any religious pilgrimage across the country why the Government of Jammu and Kashmir is then extracting money from Amarnath pilgrims," he said.
He added that all this was having a negative impact on the image of Jammu and Kashmir and said that this will have a huge bearing on the business class of the state.
Kesri also alleged that vehicles of some of the pilgrims were vandalised, but when the incident was reported to the police they didn't take any action.
"The glasses of some of the vehicles were broken, but when police officers were told about the incident they didn't pay any heed," he said, adding that if the government's attitude towards the yatris doesn't change, they will be forced to step up their agitation in consultation with various other religious organisations.
