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| 10-day halt spills Hajjis on roads | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 15: The local administration had a tough time today as the Hajj pilgrims from different parts of region spilled over roads with angry protests after they were told to stay out in the town for another week or ten days due to cancellation of flights to Jeddah.
This is not the first time when Hajj pilgrims have come across inconvenience. Every year Hajj aspirants from the region want their direct flight to Jeddah or to Delhi or Mumbai for onward flight to Jeddah but the government wants them to take circuitous route via Srinagar.
Hundreds of Hajj pilgrims staged a dharna at Panama chowk and blocked traffic for over one hour after they were asked to stay put in Hajj house in view of cancellation of their Jeddah flights due to inclement weather conditions. Hundreds of Haj pilgrims, who arrived here from border district of Poonch on Friday evening, were accommodated comfortably in the Hajj House at rail head complex and on Saturday morning while they were making preparations for their onward journey they were informed by concerned authorities that their flights have been rescheduled and they have to stay put in Jammu till November 26 in view of the prevailing bad weather conditions. The Haji's were not ready to listen and in the absence of some senior authority present in the house, several pilgrims entered in to verbal dual with the Hajj authorities. Tehsildar Jammu who was present there had to face the fury of the Hajj pilgrims as they exchanged hot words. The stranded pilgrims alleged they were facing discrimination at the cost of facilities extended to Haj pilgrims from Kashmir valley.
Later they took out a protest march and blocked traffic on the Panama chowk. Senior district authorities including Deputy Commissioner Mandeep Bhandari, SS Jammu Manohar Singh and SP South Mubassir Latiffi reached the spot and pacified the Hajj pilgrims to lift the dharna. After meeting a group of senior Hajj pilgrims, Mandeep Bhandari told media persons that the state government had made elaborate arrangements keeping in view the comfort level of pilgrims in mind. He said flights have been rescheduled and till then the Hajj pilgrims have been advised to stay in the Haj house, Bhandari said. Not satisfied with the assurances few Hajji’s demanded that the state government should arrange flight to Jeddah at the earliest lest they would be forced to extend a poll boycott call on November 17.
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