Jammu, Jan 13 (KNS): Save Sharda Committee , a pressure group working on Re-opening of Sharda Peeth in PoK has welcomed the statement of Chief Minister Ms. Mehbooba mufti on the floor of house in J& K Legislative assembly yesterday. A 7 member team of MLC’s led by Ramesh Arora MLC of BJP and member of Save Sharda committee called on Chief Minister and apprised her of recent developments on Sharda.
The legislative members who called on CM included Khurshid Alam, Charanjit Singh, G.N. Monga, Yusuf Sofi, Pradeep Kumar, Chief whip Zafar Manas and Sh. Girdhari Lal Raina, representing the kashmiri pandit community. The Chief Minister had raised the issue of re-opening of Sharda pilgrimage in August , last year too while meeting a delegation of people from PoK.
In the meanwhile, a delegation of Save Sharda Committee met MoS PMO DR. Jitendra Singh here in New Delhi today and briefed her about the judgments of Pakistan Supreme Court regarding restoration of minorities shrines in Pakistan particularly Katas Raj Temple in Chakwal, Pakistan.
A photograph showing the flowers being laid and a photo installed this year inside the temple by Save Sharda Committee through civil society of PoK was presented to the minister in the Union Government. Ravinder Pandita, founder of the committee apprised the minister of the recent developments in Sharda in PoK and stressed the need for an amendment in LoC permit for travel to PoK that is meant for J&K residents.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
He demanded that MEA should immediately take up the matter with their counterparts in Pakistan for resuming the pilgrimage on the lines of Sikhs going to Nankana Sahib in Lahore every year. It may not be out of place to mention that the last yatra to Sharda- the basic seat of learning was in 1947 by great saint of Kashmir Swami Nand Lal Ji, who used to live in Sharda in pre-partition era.
The minister was presented with the pious soil and flowers sent by POK residents to Save Sharda Committee and the documentary made on the recent developments on Sharda issue.
The Save Sharda Committee members thanked the chief minister for the keen interest shown on the 70 year old subject and the chief minister assured the delegation that the issue of re-opening of pilgrimage to Sharda in PoK would be taken up at appropriate level with the concerned authorities. Save Sharda Committee Kashmir (Regd.) is a pressure group working on the re-opening of the pilgrimage on the lines of Nankana sahib yatra in Lahore, Pakistan by Sikhs every year. (KNS)