Jammu and Kashmir Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary on Thursday slammed Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, seeking an answer from him on the flood situation in the state.
He alleged that the Vaishno Devi yatra was not stopped despite an alert of a cloudburst and a landslide. Choudhary claimed that victims of the Vaishno Devi landslide didn’t die, but were killed.
“Regarding the Vaishno Devi Yatra incident, LG Manoj Sinha should give an answer. During the LG’s term, a stampede had also occurred earlier. When there was an alert for cloudburst and heavy rainfall, why was the Yatra not stopped?… The 35 devotees of Mata Vaishno Devi did not die; they were killed,” Surinder Choudhary said.
The J-K deputy CM further alleged a criminal conspiracy behind the Vaishno Devi landslide, stating that an investigation should be done over the issue. He further urged PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to form a committee into the matter and find out the roles of L-G Manoj Sinha and other officials.
“There is a criminal conspiracy behind this. An investigation should be done. I request PM Modi and Union HM Amit Shah to constitute a high-level committee to check the roles of LG Manoj Sinha and the officers. A strict action should be taken and an FIR should also be registered,” he said.
Following the suspension of the Vaishno Devi Yatra, several devotees have been stranded in the region, with some waiting at hotels in Katra for the yatra to resume. Devotees present in the area said they had been asked to wait until the path is cleared of debris. A red alert was issued following the incident, and rescue and clearance operations are currently underway.
Meanwhile, the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has taken the responsibility of repatriating the bodies of the landslide victims to their native places.
A devastating landslide occurred near the Vaishno Devi temple in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, claiming more than 30 lives and injuring 20 others. The disaster struck on Tuesday afternoon, around 3 pm, when heavy rains triggered a massive landslide near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkuwari, about halfway along the 12-kilometre trek from Katra to the shrine. (ANI)
