 Early Times Report
REASI, June 28: Senior Congress leader and ex-Minister Jugal Kishore Sharma has demanded opening of all religious places like Vaishno Devi Shrine, Shiv Khori Shrine, Machail Mata Temple beside others located in J&K.
Addressing a press conference here today, Congress leader Jugal Kishore Sharma said, as the government and the administration prepares for Unlock.2 which will be taking place on 1st of July, the public is waiting for the proper guidelines in this regard to be issued by MHA which will be followed by the state administrations.
He said that in Unlock.1 we saw minor relaxations extended to certain businesses such as hotels/restaurants, shops etc while strictly following the guidelines on safety measures such as social distancing, wearing masks and regular sanitizing.
As the date for Unlock.2 approaches I would like to request our state administration to consider opening the places of worships such as Vaishno Devi Shrine, Shiv Khori Shrine and Machail Mata Shrine for the intra-state devotees with proper guidelines mentioning the social distancing norms and regular sanitizing practices.
These shrines are not only places of worship but also the only source of livelihood for many families, he added.
There are numerous shrines in the region which cater to multiple families and local vendors as the only way of economic survival such as Sukrala Mata, Nau Deviyan, Kol Kandoli, Raghunath Mandir, Ranbireshwar Temple, Bawe Wali Mata and other such shrines which attract the maximum number of devotees, said Sharma.
These uncertain times and the fear of the pandemic has brought about a wave of negativity and depression upon the people of the country in general and J&K in particular. The places of worship act as centres of positivity and give faith to the people and with that a heightened willpower to fight this battle with Coronavirus, he added.
Sharma said that it is a humble request that with a proper set of guidelines and a strong support from the administration the places of worship should be opened for people from within the UT of J&K to visit and spread hope and positivity.
Those who were present during the press conference included Amit Sharma District Reasi Working President Congress, Munshi Ram Salalia senior Congress leader, Rajesh Sadhotra State President Congress Seva Dal, Advocate Vijay Sharma senior Congress leader, Councilor Ravi Nag, Councilor Ashok Bali, ex-President Municipal Committee Reasi Yash Verma, ex-Sarpanch Ransoo Pal Chand and Varun Magotra.
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