The Jammu Kashmir Directorate of Information has withdrawn a press note which said that the Amarnath Yatra has been cancelled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The 42-day-long annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine is scheduled to commence on June 23.
If the Amarnath Yatra would have been cancelled, it will be for the first in its history that the annual pilgrimage will be suspended.
Earlier in the day, the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) spokesman had said that the annual pilgrimage has been suspended this year due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The decision to this effect was taken at the 38th board meeting of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) which met under the chairmanship of Lt Governor G C Murmu at Raj Bhavan here, the spokesman had said.
Lieutenant Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu, who is also the chairman of the Amarnath Yatra board had said that a nationwide lockdown already in place and the situation is unpredictable. He had added that the safety of the pilgrims is of utmost importance.
Last year, the Amarnath yatra was cut short citing security reasons after which Article 370 and Article 35A was scrapped in the state.
Meanwhile, 407 COVID-19 positive cases have been registered in the state and five have succumbed to the virus.
