National Conference awaiting nod for J-K statehood protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20: Abdullah

Srinagar, Jul 10 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said his National Conference (NC) party is seeking permission for a protest at Jantar Mantar, but alleged that some people were trying to "sabotage" their plan. The NC had announced a sit-in protest in the national capital on July 20, the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon Session, to press the Centre to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. The party has also invited 52 leaders of political and religious outfits across the country to join its protest. Speaking to reporters here on the sidelines of an event, the CM said the party is yet to get permission for the protest. "On the 20th (of July), a programme is to take place, if we get permission for it. We are trying to get the permission," he said. Referring to permission granted to the Cockroach Janta Party for the protest, the chief minister said that while the digital outfit received approval within 24 hours, the National Conference had been waiting for the past 4-5 days. Abdullah also alleged that some people were trying to "sabotage" the NC plan. "We have been trying for four-five days. Some people are engaged in sabotaging our programme. They have changed their dates and matched them with our dates," he said, without naming anyone. To a question about the suspension of four teachers in Ganderbal district over irregularities in Amarnath Yatra duty, the CM said the issue is up to the Shrine Board, asserting the elected government does not interfere in the management of the annual Yatra. "There might be interference in our work occasionally, but we do not interfere in the management of the yatra. Our role is to support. And every department has to play a role in yatra management and yatra support, that we have to fulfill," he said. Abdullah said most of the responsibility lies with the Tourism Department as it is the parent department for the yatra. "The funds that are released happen through tourism; the coordination happens through tourism. So, from our side, our complete effort is that the Shrine Board should continue to receive the cooperation it should get from the government," he said. On the scope of religious tourism in J-K, Abdullah said there is no lack of potential for the sector in the region. "There is something for every religion. We have shrines, mosques, gurudwaras, temples, churches, and stupas. Amarnath Yatra is underway, and you can see that the number of people on pilgrimage is much more than those who have registered. It is becoming difficult for the Shrine Board to adhere to the Supreme Court orders, which put a ceiling on the number of yatris. So, that is a part of religious tourism," he said. He also said that this year, more people came for the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela than last year. "Last year, I think not more than 5-6 thousand people came. This time, 10,000 stayed there for the night. The number during the day was more than 30,000. Similarly, in other places, religious tourism is going on, whether it is in Jammu or in Kashmir," he said. Abdullah added that wherever shrines need to be repaired or renovated, or where access needs to be made easier, the government approves such projects wherever they come to it. On the issue of climate change, Abdullah said it is a global problem and not a local one. "If it were a problem of Srinagar or Kashmir, we would fix it. But this is a global problem. This problem has been created by those countries which made a lot of progress while creating the problem. When we fell behind, these countries went ahead like the G7 and G8, and became the most developed countries. They ruined the environment for their progress,” the chief minister said. "Now that they have achieved progress, they are telling other countries to save the environment. Saving the environment is our responsibility; we have to do it. But no one can do it alone," he said. The CM said people need to acknowledge that climate change is a reality. "Some people are not even ready to believe that. Even today, many people are absolutely not ready to accept this thing that there is climate change. Global warming is a thing," he said. He pointed out that mountains used to be adorned with snow even in summers, but now nothing of that remains. "There was a time when the (Amarnath) Shivling would remain for 15, 20, 25 days for the pilgrims. Today, it hasn't even been a week (it has melted). And this is something you cannot create artificially. You might remember a governor tried to make a fake one. What happened to that? You cannot do anything fake in this. It is made by the Almighty. It comes and goes. If we fix climate change, maybe it will last a little longer," he said. Abdullah also expressed hope that the tourism destinations closed in the wake of last year's Pahalgam terror attack would be reopened soon. He said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured him during his visit to Jammu earlier this year that those places would be reopened in summer. "He had assured that it would happen in the summer months this year. I hope that when the Yatra ends and the forces that have been deployed for the yatra are redeployed, then these closed places will be reopened," he added. PTI SSB KSI KSI