Srinagar: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has condemned the annual Hindu pilgrimage, Amarnath Yatra, in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, labeling it a communal and heavily militarized event under the current Indian administration.
According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesperson Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas issued a statement criticizing the disparate treatment of Hindu pilgrimages compared to Kashmiri Muslim religious activities. Minhas pointed out that since the ascendancy of Hindutva politics in India, the Amarnath Yatra has seen a notable increase in both participants and duration, placing additional pressures on the local population.
The deployment of over one hundred thousand additional troops and paramilitary forces for the event, coupled with extensive surveillance measures including drone monitoring, has significantly heightened the region’s security environment, impacting daily life and exacerbating the challenges faced by the Kashmiri people.