BJP seek PM's intervention to resolve Amarnath land transfer row

New Delhi/Jammu, Aug 1 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have sought the Prime Minister's intervention in the revoking cancellation of forest land originally allotted to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).

A BJP delegation led by senior leader LK Advani called on Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, and asked him to take steps to redress their grievances.

A BJP spokesman said the party wanted the Jammu and Kashmir government to uphold the earlier allotment of forest land to the trust.

"Advani has made it clear the decision of allotting land to the shrine board should be upheld. In order to control the current unrest in the state, the cancellation of land allotment should be revoked. It was decided earlier, the land should be given to the Board for two months to provide better facilities to the pilgrims," said Prakash Javadekar, a party spokesman.

Meanwhile, SASB leader Leela Karan Sharma in Jammu said after a meeting with State Governor N.N.Vohra that the struggle will continue till the problem isesolved.

"We want two things, the land given back to the Amarnath Shrine Board and the restoration of the autonomous status of the Board. Moreover, we will carry on the agitation till a reasonable resolution comes out," said Sharma.

The protesters are demanding the restoration of forestland allotted to the Samiti by the State Government for making makeshift facilities for pilgrims to the Amarnath shrine.

The ongoing unrest is supported by about 30 Hindu organisations.

On July 1, the State Government had withdrawn its May 26 order to allocate 40 hectare of land to the shrine board following massive Muslim street protests against the order. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had to resign over the issue following his Government's failure to win a trust vote in the State Assembly.

ANI