Pro shrine groups set peace conditions

Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 8:08 am

The Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti, spearheading the agitation over the Amarnath land row, has threatened to call off talks with the Governor-appointed panel unless security forces stopped using “excessive force against innocent protesters”.

“The Samiti warns that it will reconsider holding talks with the panel if the administration behaves the way it did with innocent protesters in Jammu region today,” its convener Leela Karan Sharma told reporters in Jammu yesterday (August 26).

He alleged the police and the Rapid Action Force had cane-charged innocent protesters and opened fire at them for staging peaceful rallies in Digiana, Kathua and Gandhi Nagar areas in the city.

Police also burst teargas shells to disperse them, the Samiti leader said.

To reinforce his claim that security forces were using excessive force against the agitators, he produced empty teargas shells and a cartridge before mediapersons.

“The talks are still on and the government must rein in security forces. It should direct them to stop atrocities on innocent civilians,” he said.

Asked whether any consensus had been reached at the talks aimed at resolving the vexed land transfer issue, the Samiti leader said “we are not going into nuances of words. We want restoration of the land to the Amarnath Shrine Board at the earliest.”

“At present, our prime concern is the land. Removal of the Governor and discrimination against Jammu are not the main issues,” Sharma said.

He alleged some vested elements were driving a wedge among Samiti leaders by floating rumours.

To a question, Sharma said “Kashmiri Pandits, who have also faced hardships and suffered atrocities like others, are fully supporting the movement.” Slamming the Congress, he said “the Samiti is of the view that the Congress leadership has played with religious sentiments of the people and is responsible for the current turmoil in Jammu.”

Sharma alleged the appointment of Vohra as J and K Governor followed by revocation of the land allotment order were a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by the UPA at the Centre and Ghulam Nabi Azad government in the state.

The Samiti leader accused the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party of maintaining “criminal silence over atrocities on Hindus” in Poonch and Kishtwar districts.

Another Samiti leader Tilaj Raj Sharma criticised the Mangat Ram Sharma’s statement, saying “Samiti appeals to the people of Jammu for social boycott of Congress leaders Mangat
Ram Sharma, Gulchain Singh Charak and Mula Ram for rubbing salt into the wounds of Jammu.”

PTI

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Pro shrine groups set peace conditions

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