Srinagar, Nov 07: National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah Tuesday questioned the construction of a motorable road up to the Amarnath cave shrine and said playing with the environment in such a way was not good as it was akin to destroying it.
He said the annual pilgrimage to the shrine has been going on for years and there was no need to take vehicles there.
“To provide some ease is one thing, but there is a dire need to have a relook at the matter. Taking vehicles to such places is akin to destroying them. Since the yatra has started, people from here have carried the yatris on their shoulders and will continue to do so. Playing with our environment in such a way is not good,” Abdullah told reporters here.
It has become usual to face some difficulties during the yatra. “When we go for Haj, do we undertake Tawaf in a vehicle? No, we do that on foot. People visit Mata Vaishno Devi shrine for darshan and many go on foot and do not use vehicles, etc.,” he said.
Vehicles reach the shrine now after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) completed the widening of the road from Dumail to the Amarnath cave via Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the NC Vice President interacted with and felicitated scores of students under the aegis of India’s International Movement to the United Nations, which is the world’s largest youth-run, non-profit organisation.
Party’s General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, Additional General Secretary Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, Provincial President Kashmir Nasir Aslam Wani Sogami and Political Advisor to Vice President Mudassar Shahmiri were also present on the occasion.
On the occasion, the visiting students subjected the party VP to a host of questions on various subjects. The discussion veered from issues such as education, entrepreneurship, politics and history and candid queries about his likes and dislikes.
Speaking to the rapt audience of students present on the occasion, Omar said such interactions will broaden the horizons of students and allow them to learn from the experiences of people around the globe. He congratulated the management of the organization and appreciated the poise and questions of the students on the occasion.
