National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday asked the government to reconsider a project to build motorable roads up to the Amarnath cave shrine in Kashmir. Meanwhile, the BJP has expressed support for the move.
“In the green belts of Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam, no one is allowed to even repair or make additions to structures to protect the ecology and the environment. If such measures are being taken to protect these areas, then it should also be a responsibility to preserve the environment near the Amarnath holy cave,” Mr. Abdulah said.
He mentioned that pilgrims, for centuries, traveled by foot as part of a tradition to reach the shrine and that using vehicles is more of a disruption than development. “Such pilgrimages involve a degree of hardship. No one drives in a car in Kaaba and many pilgrims prefer to trek to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine,” Mr. Abdullah said.
Abdullah’s remarks come a day after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) posted pictures and videos of vehicles driving to the shrine from Sonamarg. The BRO is widening tracks and erecting railings along the routes to the cave shrine.
Meanwhile, the BJP has welcomed the move.
“Only the insane would criticize this move of the Modi Government to help the lakhs of people who wish to visit the cave shrine of Baba Barfani,” senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said.
Mr. Gupta also mentioned that there were political groups in the Valley that oppose development and that the vehicles reaching Amarnathji Shrine will further improve things in Kashmir.
CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami expressed concern about the construction of a road to the sacred cave, stating that it poses a significant threat to the local ecology, with severe consequences for wildlife and forests.
“It is imperative that government agencies engage with all stakeholders, seeking their input and respecting environmental statutes to prevent unsustainable development,” he said.