Chandigarh: Former Jammu and Kashmir governor Lt Gen (retd) S K Sinha today termed the revocation of Amarnath land transfer order "under compulsions" a "national tragedy and the most unfortunate" and accused the Centre of going into an "overdrive" with its "appeasement policy".
Sinha also slammed the Peoples Democratic Party for allegedly putting impediments in the conduct of the Amarnath yatra. He alleged that former chief minister and PDP leader Mufti Mohammed Sayeed had tried to scuttle anything relating to yatra like preventing him in his capacity as Amarnath Board chairman to putting up pre-fabricated structures along the Baltal route for the pilgrims and trying to ensure that the annual pilgrimage did not stretch to two months.
He also accused the media of "misleading and misinforming" the public on the sensitive Amarnath land row. "I can understand the Valley press being prejudiced and engaging in yellow journalism but the national media has been misleading public opinion on this issue which is a matter of great concern," he said adding "Facts have become a great casualty and I hold the media largely responsible for it".
Sinha made these remarks in his 90-minute keynote address at a seminar on "Shri Amarnath Land Transfer -Implications of Revocation".
He blamed the Centre for going into "overdrive" in its "appeasement policy and hurriedly revoking the order".
Sinha, who has often been criticised for his role in the raging land transfer row, said "vested interests" are trying to portray the decision of land transfer as one made by him "whereas the truth is that the State Cabinet in May 2008 had unanimously approved of land being given to the Board." (PTI)
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