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CM faces ire of KPs

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 6/17/2013 11:18:35 PM

SRINAGAR, June 17: The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had to face an embarrassing situation when angry Kashmiri Pandits raised slogans against him as he entered the premises of Khirbhawani temple where Pandits had gathered for the yearly Khirbhawani Mela today.
The protesting Pandits were angry over what they called poor arrangements made by the government for devotees who attend Khirbhawani festival on an annual basis to pay obeisance to the revered deity. “There is total lack of basic arrangements like blankets, latrines, bathrooms etc. What is this coalition government led by NC doing?” asked an angry Pandit protesters.
Reports said the situation turned so chaotic and hostile for the Chief Minister that he had to leave the spot in a hurry compelling the Inspector General of Police Kashmir to stay and pacify the protesters.
Initially as Omar reached the temple, many Pandits greeted him but soon a group of devotees started raising slogans against him. They raised slogans like, “Omar Abdullah Hai Hai”.
IGP Kashmir, Abdul Ghani Mir tried his best to persuade the protesting Pandits but they did not relent. Mir had to remain inside the temple for quite some time to persuade the protesting Pandits and it was after a long time that situation turned to normal.
“The state government has made no arrangements in Khir Bhawani, it is confined only to issuance of statements,” Hriday Nath, a middle aged devotee told the reporters near the temple.
Another Pandit Sohan Lal, elaborated that the government is making mockery of Pandit migration. “The government always said that situation has become normal so Pandits should return but unfortunately the government does nothing in particular and no steps are being taken to facilitate our festivals here.”
Meanwhile, in the evening, National Conference leader and Member Legislative Council Vijay Bakaya appreciated the divisional administration Kashmir for making elaborate arrangements at Khir Bhawani for the visiting devotees on the auspicious occasion of Jaishtha Ashtami.
Bakaya regretted the “unbecoming attitude of handful of miscreants” who vitiated the religious atmosphere by indulging in sloganeering. In a statement issued here, Bakaya expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for making available 65 buses to facilitate Jammu based devotees pay their obeisance and participate in the festival in a big way.
He appreciated the overwhelming majority of the devotees for isolating the “miscreants”, who tried to disturb the peaceful and serene atmosphere on the auspicious occasion.
Also in a statement issued here the minority cell of National Conference condemned the “unruly behavior of handful miscreants” at Khirbhawani.
Anil Dhar (Working President ), M. L Munshi, A K Hangloo, Jatin Bhat and others described the incident unfortunate saying this is no way of highlighting the problems. “They decried the machinations of elements behind the incident and said that for their political motives, they have exploited the sentiments of some devotees ignoring the sanctity of the occasion. By provoking a handful of devotees when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the revered shrine to meet and felicitate the devotees on the annual festival, the vested interests have not done any good to the community,” they said.