Deputy CM blames authorities for ignoring inclement weather to allow Vaishnodevi yatra

Jammu, Aug 29: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Friday launched a sharp attack on the J&K administration, holding it responsible for the Vaishno Devi tragedy, in which about 34 pilgrims died in a landslide.

"(At Vaishno Devi) the shrine board is present, which monitors everything. Then why was the yatra not stopped in bad weather? And even if people were returning, why were they not stopped at the Durbar (the location of the shrine)? Why didn’t the LG direct the CEO to stop the yatra?" Choudhary told reporters while visiting flood-affected areas in Jammu.

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has refuted allegations of allowing the yatra to proceed in disregard of weather advisories and at the cost of pilgrim safety, saying that the pilgrimage was suspended at noon on August 26 ahead of the cloudburst that triggered the landslide. “Yatra on this track was suspended by 12 noon on August 26 upon issuance of the specific weather advisory,” the Board said in a statement on Thursday night. However, the Board did not share details about the number of deaths in the disaster.

Pointing to the role of the shrine board, he questioned, "As this board is under him, then why was the yatra not stopped? This is a very big question, and he must answer it," and accused the administration of failing to learn lessons from past tragedies.

Calling for "governance by a single elected government" in Jammu and Kashmir, the Deputy CM said, “Today in Jammu and Kashmir, two governments are running. One is the LG’s government, and the other is Omar Abdullah’s government. CM Omar’s government has been chosen and sent by the people, and it is fulfilling its duty.” Meanwhile, LG Manoj Sinha has constituted a three-member panel, headed by the additional chief secretary, to inquire into the reasons behind the incident. The committee will submit a report within two weeks.