Key Takeaways
- Omar Abdullah questions the Supreme Court’s order on Kanwar Yatra, asking if similar orders could be issued for Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir.
- The Amarnath pilgrims rely heavily on Muslims for their journey, with over 80% of the porters and horses used by the pilgrims being Muslim-owned.
- The NC leader suggests that if the government allows employees to join RSS functions, then similar bans on political parties should also be removed.
Srinagar: National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that orders against the Muslim eateries in Uttar Pradesh during the Kanwar Yatra should not have been there and asked if such orders could be issued for Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir.
“It is a good thing that the Supreme Court has stayed the orders on Kanwar Yatra in Uttar Pradesh, such orders should not have been issued”, Omar told media persons in Srinagar.
“If the order was to keep away the Muslims from the Kanwar yatra, for God Sake tell me when Yatra (Amarnath) is taking place in Kashmir valley, which is not possible without the Muslims”, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said.
He said the Amarnath pilgrims are undertaking the pilgrimage on the shoulders of the Muslims.
“The Pilgrims of Mata Vaishnov Devi who are riding on the horses or ‘pithus’ (porters), which religion do they belong to? They (BJP) do not see religion there,” he questioned.
To a question on the Centre’s decision to revoke the ban on government employees participating in RSS functions, the NC leader said “if they have to do this”, then bans on employees participating in functions of political parties should also be removed as “RSS is a political organisation”.
“… such an order should be issued for political parties as well. Let the government employees come and join political parties,” he added.
