Amarnath Yatra suspended for one day

Jammu, Aug 5 (IANS) The Amarnath Yatra from Jammu to Kashmir was suspended for a day on Monday as a precautionary security measure in the wake of the 5th anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370.

No movement of Yatris was allowed from Jammu to the Valley although the authorities did not give any specific reason for the day’s suspension of the Yatra. However, on Sunday, a batch of 1,112 devotees left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two escorted convoys for the Valley, and the passage of the new lot was suspended on Monday.

Sources said the Amarnath Yatra from Jammu to Kashmir was suspended for a day as a precautionary measure. It is believed that the same has been done to maintain law and order on the 5th anniversary of Article 370 abrogation.

Parliament on August 5, 2019, abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to J&K. The state was also bifurcated into two union territories of J&K and Ladakh on the same day.

J&K was brought in line with all other states and union territories of the country through the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 that repealed all repressive local laws like non-inheritance of properties by daughters choosing a spouse from outside the state, denial of share from parents’ property to married daughters, denial of jobs to aspirants from outside J&K and denial of land rights to outsiders.

After the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019, the ST status was given to Gujjars/Bakarwals and SC status to Paharis and Gaddi Brahmins while Safai Karamcharis and West Pakistan refugees were given land and voting rights.

The BJP is celebrating the Article 370 abrogation anniversary as ‘Ekatma Mahotsav’ while the Congress has called August 5 a black day in the history of J&K.

PDP headed by Mehbooba Mufti and DPAP headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad have announced that they will hold protests against the bifurcation of J&K into two union territories and the denial of statehood to the erstwhile state.