Compensate community kitchens burnt in Baltal clashes: VHP

The VHP Saturday demanded an inquiry into the torching of community kitchens (langars) in Jammu and Kashmir's Baltal besides compensation and threatened to take the issue to the Supreme Court.

Surinder Jain, national spokesperson of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), told reporters in Jammu that his party demands an inquiry into the burning of community kitchens in Baltal, the base camp of the Amarnath Yatra, during clashes and compensation by the state government.

Jain threatened to take the issue to the Supreme Court, asserting torching of the "langars" caused great inconvenience to pilgrims.

He also asked the state government not to stop the Kashmiri Pandits' Kausarnag Yatra, going on at present in south Kashmir.

Clashes broke out in Baltal July 18 following a scuffle between a community kitchen cook and a pony owner. Ten "langars" and over 300 tents were burnt before security forces could bring the situation under control.