Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to protest in Delhi against Amarnath Yatra registration fee

JAMMU, May 14 (PTI) The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Sunday announced a protest in Delhi against the collection of registration fees from pilgrims intending to visit the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir.

The registration process for the two-month Amarnath Yatra started last month. The annual pilgrimage is scheduled to start on July 1 from the twin tracks — the traditional 48-kilometre Nunwan-Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district and the 14-kilometre shorter but steeper Baltal route in the Ganderbal district.

“We are going to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi in the next few days as part of our ongoing agitation to press for free registration of the pilgrims,” the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Manish Sahni told reporters here.

Several senior party leaders, religious heads and social and political activists are also joining the protest for the withdrawal of the registration fee.

“We appeal to the (Jammu and Kashmir) Lt Governor and the shrine board not to charge any registration fee from the pilgrims. We want the pilgrims to be exempted from toll tax as well,” he said.

Sahni said a delegation of the party met Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray in Mumbai on Thursday and briefed him about the agitation.

The party high command has given instructions to intensify the movement until a decision is taken in favour of the demand, Sahni said.