BJP today accused the ruling NC-Congress combine in Jammu and Kashmir of taking forward the separatist agenda and banning Kounsarnag Yatra, demanding the state government to allow Kashmiri Pandits to take out the pilgrimage from the south Kashmir route.
"We condemn the NC-Congress coalition government for jumping on to the separatists' bandwagon and banning the age-old Kounsar Nag Yatra," BJP state general secretary Bali Bhagat said.
Bhagat asserted that "by banning the yatra, the NC-Congress coalition was carrying forward the separatists agenda."
The state government has denied permission to a group of Kashmiri Pandits from taking out a yatra to glacial spring of Kaunsar Nag in south Kashmir.
However, the yatra is on from the four-year-old trekking route of Jammu's Reasi district.
"Kounsar Nag Yatra is not a new phenomenon, it is an ancient yatra. The holy lake is worshipped by the Hindus since times immemorial and it is connected with God Vishnu. Even Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin (Badshah) had in 1463 AD traversed a long distance from Bijbehara (Vijayeseswara) to Kounsar Nag to express solidarity with Kashmiri Hindus," he said.
He said that the NC-Congress coalition will have to pay a very heavy price for denying the Kashmiri Pandits their right to undertake the annual Kounsar Nag yatra.
Refuting the statement made by Mir that the government had not granted permission for the yatra, he said that the Kulgam administration did in writing grant permission for 4-day-long yatra from July 31 to August 3.
Bhagat demanded the resignation of the Tourism Minister G A Mir over the issue.
