JAMMU, Jul 2: Raising concerns over the management of the ongoing Shri Amarnath Yatra, workers of Dogra Front and Shiv Sena, led by president Ashok Gupta, staged a protest rally in Jammu city on Wednesday, demanding the opening of additional registration counters across the Jammu division to ease the inconvenience faced by pilgrims.
Addressing the protest, Ashok Gupta said that the heavy influx of Amarnath pilgrims, coupled with the shifting of the registration counter to the Tawi River Front, has resulted in chaos and hardship for devotees. He alleged that the present venue lacks permanent infrastructure, forcing many pilgrims to spend the night on roads and open grounds while waiting for registration.
Gupta also expressed concern over the barbed wire fencing installed around the registration area, claiming that it poses a safety risk to pilgrims and has caused injuries to several devotees. He urged the administration to make adequate arrangements to ensure the comfort, safety and dignity of the yatries.
The organisation demanded that additional registration counters be opened at Lakhanpur, Samba, Vijaypur and Bari Brahmana to reduce the burden on the Jammu city registration centre and ensure smoother management of the annual pilgrimage. The leaders also sought separate registration facilities for sadhus, pointing out that long queues had stretched from Geeta Bhawan to City Chowk, causing significant inconvenience.
Ashok Gupta further appealed to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to ensure that direct trains bound for Kashmir halt at Jammu, enabling pilgrims to visit the revered Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and the tourist destination Patnitop. He said such a move would not only benefit pilgrims but also provide a significant boost to the local economy of the Jammu region.
Concluding the protest, Gupta reiterated that the administration should immediately increase the number of registration counters and strengthen facilities to ensure a smooth, safe and hassle-free pilgrimage for all devotees of Lord Shiva.
Among those present during the protest were Raju, Bantu, Ganesh, Rahul, Vishal, Rampal, Vinod, Sangeet, Monu, Raji, Basantu, Raja, Prem, Dwassi and several other party workers.