72-hr shutdown in J-K's Katra begins as protests intensify against ropeway

The proposed Rs 250-crore project will connect Tarakote Marg to Sanji Chhat, leading to the Reasi district's cave shrine

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Several people were detained by police during a protest in Katra, the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu and Kashmir, as demands to shelve the proposed ropeway project intensified with the town observing a 72-hour shutdown from Wednesday.

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti called for the bandh and said that all activities in Katra would remain suspended during the protest.

Scores of people led by Samiti leaders Bhupinder Singh and Sohan Chand took out a protest march in the town, raising slogans against the Shrine Board and the administration, accusing them of adopting a stubborn attitude.

However, when police personnel stopped the protesters from advancing, clashes broke out between the two sides.

Several protesters, including Singh and Chand, were detained by the police and taken away in a police vehicle from the protest site, officials said.

Singh alleged that the government was derailing the issue and forcing the people of Katra to come on the roads.

"We are demanding the shelving of this project to save the jobs of thousands of people. Instead of holding talks with us, as promised by the administration, they are using police to detain us. This is unfortunate", he said.

Former minister Jugal Kishore criticised the "use of force" against the protesters.

"We strongly condemn the administration's move to use force against peaceful demonstrators. Their actions are aimed at disturbing the situation in Katra, which is unacceptable," Kishore told reporters.

He accused the administration of avoiding dialogue. "Instead of holding discussions, they are aggravating the situation," he said.

In response to the protest call, all business establishments remained closed, and traffic was off the roads in the holy town.

"A 72-hour shutdown by pony owners, shopkeepers, and other local stakeholders began on Wednesday to protest the proposed ropeway project," a Samiti spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that the administration had initially scheduled a meeting for December 23 but postponed it to 3 PM today.

"We met the Deputy Commissioner today, who requested more time to consult higher authorities. Therefore, we have decided to continue with the strike," he said.

Last month, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board announced plans to install the ropeway to facilitate access to the temple for senior citizens, children, and others who find it challenging to trek the 13-km-long path to the cave shrine.

The proposed Rs 250-crore project aims to connect Tarakote Marg to Sanji Chhat, which leads to the shrine.

Meanwhile, pilgrims expressed frustration over the shutdown, citing the closure of eateries and the suspension of local transport, which caused significant inconvenience.

"We are facing a lot of difficulties. Where will pilgrims eat or rest during this three-day bandh? This is not the right way to protest," a pilgrim told reporters.

"We humbly request those leading the protests to call off the strike, as thousands of pilgrims are facing hardships," he added.