667 pilgrims leave for Amarnath Yatra
Srinagar, July 26: A small batch of 667 pilgrims on Thursday left Jammu for the Kashmir Valley to perform the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, officials said.
The yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in an escorted convoy of 19 vehicles, a police officer said.
This is the smallest batch of pilgrims to leave Jammu since the yatra started on June 28. To date, over 2,46,000 pilgrims have performed the yatra.
There have been demands from the organisation of service providers for the pilgrims that since over 90 per cent of pilgrims perform the yatra during the first 30 days as reflected by records during the last three years, the yatra should be restricted to 30 days.
Officially, the yatra will end on August 26 coinciding with Shravan Purnima festival.
Except for the vagaries of weather in which four pilgrims were killed by a landslide, the yatra has been proceeding smoothly thanks to the extraordinary security arrangements made to secure the passage of the devotees.
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HC verdict: No question of CM's resignation, says Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said there is no question of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah resigning over the High Court dismissing his petition challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's approval for investigation against him in a site allotment case.
He alleged that there was a "big conspiracy" against the Chief Minister, as he asserted that the latter has done no wrong in the issue and will come out clean.
When questioned about BJP demanding CM's resignation over the High Court's order, Shivakumar said: "There is no question, the CM has not done anything wrong. He is not involved in any scam. It is a political conspiracy by the BJP against all opposition leaders in the country, this is what is going on."
Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, said he and his party stand in support of the Chief Minister, who is doing a good job for the party and the state.
He was reacting to High Court on Tuesday dismissing Siddaramaiah's petition challenging Governor's approval for investigation against him in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case.
"(There is a) big conspiracy against our Chief Minister, like how the BJP had hatched a big conspiracy against me by filing a case and sending me to jail. Because of God's grace I came out. The case in which I went to jail was dismissed. Similarly they have hatched a conspiracy against the Chief Minister and his family," Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters as he emerged from an event, where he shared the stage with Siddaramaiah here, he said: "He (Siddaramaiah) will come out clean. Let any investigation be ordered or do anything. According to me, he has done no wrong...we are with the Chief Minister."
The BJP is unable to digest the (welfare) programmes given by Siddaramaiah to the state, Shivakumar said. "There is a big conspiracy."
Asked if the court's order is a setback to the Chief Minister and the government, he said, "I need to see the order...what setback? You are saying that the court has said an investigation has to happen, I need to see."
