Protesters at this time confronted a Central Reserve Police Power (CRPF) car.
Katra:
A proposed ropeway challenge alongside the trek to the Vaishno Devi shrine has sparked unrest amongst native shopkeepers, pony service suppliers, and labourers. Protesters clashed with police at this time on the Katra base camp in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district resulting in a number of folks getting injured.
The protests in Katra stem from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board’s (SMVDSB) determination to proceed with a Rs 250-crore passenger ropeway challenge connecting Tarakote Marg to Sanji Chhat. The two.4-kilometre ropeway, anticipated to shorten the trek to only six minutes, goals to learn pilgrims, notably the aged and people with restricted mobility. Nevertheless, locals worry the challenge will devastate their livelihoods.
A whole bunch of shopkeepers, porters, and pony service suppliers participated in a sit-in protest and chanted slogans like “Bharat Mata ki Jai” to voice dissent. The protesters argue that the challenge will bypass the normal route, upon which their livelihoods rely.
Prabhat Singh, a frontrunner of the shopkeepers’ affiliation, stated, “We won’t enable the ropeway challenge to be applied in Katra. We have now been combating towards it for 3 years. Assurances got to us up to now, however now they’ve gone forward with the challenge.”
Protesters at this time confronted a Central Reserve Police Power (CRPF) car making an attempt to go by way of the demonstration web site. Within the chaos that adopted, the car’s windshield was shattered, and police intervened to revive order. Stones had been reportedly thrown at J&Okay police and CRPF personnel.
Protesters have blocked the primary bus cease in Katra by way of which the buses to the Vaishno Devi shrine run. The Vaishno Devi temple sees an annual footfall of over 80 lakh pilgrims.
“The legislation and order state of affairs has develop into difficult and we are attempting to deal with it. Officers are in talks with the protesters to resolve the problem,” Reasi’s Senior Superintendent of Police Paramvir Singh stated.
Initially referred to as as a 72-hour strike on November 22, the protest was prolonged by a further day. Regardless of reassurances from authorities, the protesters demand both the entire withdrawal of the challenge or compensation for the anticipated financial losses.
“The ropeway challenge shall be a sport changer, particularly for these pilgrims who discover it difficult to undertake the 13-km steep trek to the shrine,” the shrine board stated in an announcement.