JAMMU,19-04-2023 : Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Jammu-Kashmir unit expressed great disappointment over the collection of money on the name of registration fee from the devotees coming from across the country to perform holy pilgrimage of Amarnath Yatra which is starting from July 1, 2023. The Party demanded free registration system on the lines of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Yatra and also to ensure that the Yatra continues smoothly for the stipulated period of 62 days.
Addressing a press conference in Jammu today, Manish Sahni, President Shiv Sena (UBT) J&K said that organizations claiming Hindu nation and Hindutva are sitting on Jaziya collection at Hindu religious places. On the one hand, the government claims to have Hinduist thinking, and on the other hand, money is being collected in the name of registration at religious places of Hindus, he added.
Sahni said that before 2019 only Rs 50 registration fee was charged for the holy Shri Amarnath Yatra which has was increased to Rs 100 and now the Shrine Board is charging Rs 220/120 in 2023 on online/offline modes respectively. Sahni said that the pilgrims coming on this yatra have to shell out money to complete the earlier medical and other formalities and the Jaziya collection of Rs 220 for registration has increased the expenditure of the pilgrims.
Raising questions on the duration period of 62 days this year, Sahni said that most of the time in the past, after 35-40 days of Yatra, the Holy Shivling starts melting. Due to which the devotees arriving late are very disappointed, most of the devotees are forced to cancel the journey and return from Jammu without Darshan.
Sahni said that the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir is not ready to listen to the voice of the people and meet the opposition leaders, especially the Shiv Sena. A memorandum has been sent through e-mail to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir to free Shri Amarnath Yatra from all kinds of fees and to ensure that the darshan of the holy Himalinga is maintained for the duration of the yatra.
On this occasion president Mehila wing Meenakshi Chibber, Gen Secretary Vikas Bakshi,Chairman Rakesh Gupta , President Kamghar wing Raj Singh, Arun Kumar , Uma Sharma , Arti Sharma , Tarsem Sharma , Anshul Kundel and many others were present.