Grand Mufti: Yatris are our guests

By Our Special Correspondent

Srinagar

July 11: Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Bashiruddin on Thursday visited Baltal, Amarnath Yatra’s base-camp, to showcase "real Kashmiriyat" and to reiterate that Muslims of the Valley were neither against Hindus nor the Amarnath Yatra. He assured the pilgrims that they would always be treated as "honoured guests" by the Muslims of the Valley.

The Grand Mufti, who led a delagation of imams, priests and other religious leaders, told Amarnath pilgrims and sadhus, "It is only political parties and other vested interests which are painting us black."

"Kashmiri Muslims have been associated with the pilgrimage since the cave-shrine was discovered, incidentally by a local Muslim."

The Grand Mufti, who recently a procession in Srinagar protesting the land diversion, also told the pilgrims, "Our agitation is not against the Yatra or the Hindu devotees. But the people of Kashmir sincerely believed it (land diversion) would harm the interests of the people of Jammu & Kashmir, irrespective of their faith."