Rally to protest Amarnath yatra curtailment by Baba Niyas

Jammu, April 18: Protesting against the decision of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) to curtail the pilgrimage period by 15 days, Baba Amarnath Niyas, a conglomeration of several social, trade and religious organisations, today said it will take out a rally.

"We will take out a rally from historic Mubarak Mandi complex to protest the 15-days cut in annual Amarnath yatra by SASB this year," President of Baba Amarnath Niyas Surinder Mohan Aggarwal told reporters here.

Flanked by President of Jammu VHP V K Gupta, Sanatan Dharam Sabha President Jagdish Dogar, Mahant Ram Saroop Dass, President ASKPC, Amarnath Vaishnovi, Aggarwal said that the rally is aimed to put pressure on the shrine board to reconsider its decision.

He said that Niyas has also launched a signature campaign in protest against the curtailment of yatra.

"Thousands of signatures have been collected so far, demanding Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra, who is also Chairman of the board, to reconsider its decision," he said.

"We invite people of Jammu, who genuinely feel that the decision of SASB is unjustified, to participate and register their protest on April 20, 2011," he said.

PTI