The Diplomat Desk
Udhampur :TDD, Congress District working President Sumeet Magotra was prevented by police from reaching Katra to support the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Committee’s protest against the proposed ropeway project. Magotra, who was traveling from Udhampur to Katra with party workers, was stopped by senior Udhampur police officials at Tikri Chowk on the National Highway, approximately 25 kilometer into their journey.
When police refused passage, Magotra argued that the committee members were conducting peaceful protests, including some youth on hunger strike, and supporting them shouldn’t be considered a crime. After police rejected even his reduced request to allow just one vehicle with four people to proceed, Magotra and his associates began protesting on the highway, raising slogans against the Shrine Board and LG administration.
In a subsequent press conference in Udhampur, Magotra revealed that police had blocked all alternative routes to prevent them from reaching Katra. He expressed deep concern about the administration’s handling of the situation, noting that protesters connected to this matter of religious faith have been imprisoned for three days.
Magotra warned the administration not to mistake this as just a Katra-specific issue, stating it has evolved into a movement across Jammu and Kashmir. He emphasized that people from throughout the region earn their livelihood as porters and palanquin bearers at the shrine. He demanded the immediate release of the imprisoned committee members and cancellation of the ropeway project, warning that otherwise, the protest movement could spread to every district in Jammu and Kashmir.TDD