Date:22/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/22/stories/2008082255171200.htm

National

A manufactured controversy, says Congress

Special Correspondent

Cites record number of pilgrims

Secular fabric of J&K threatened
Stir will help inimical forces

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday described the agitation in Jammu & Kashmir over transfer of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board as a “manufactured controversy” and cited the record number of pilgrims this year as proof that the annual pilgrimage was not under threat.

Briefing journalists here, Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said 5,29,697 lakh pilgrims had “darshan” this year. This was the highest in the last 20 years, and just short of the number of people who undertook the pilgrimage during four years of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime beginning 2000.

According to Ms. Natarajan, the number this year was also the highest in five seasons of the pilgrimage since the United Progressive Alliance took charge. It was 4 lakh in 2004, 3.88 lakh in 2005, 2.65 lakh in 2006 and 2.14 lakh in 2007. The number during the NDA years was 1.73 lakh in 2000, 1.19 lakh in 2001, 1.10 lakh in 2002 and 1.53 lakh in 2003.

‘Don’t politicise’

Welcoming the gradual improvement in the situation in J&K, she said the controversy was the “creation of persons for whom their personal interest was over the people and the nation.”

“This manufactured controversy has threatened the secular fabric of the State,” Ms. Natarajan regretted, urging all parties not to politicise the issue.

All stake-holders should try to arrive at an amicable solution bearing in mind that keeping the issue alive would provide a handle to forces inimical to India, she warned.