New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has sharply criticised the Lieutenant Governor’s decision to stop helicopter services for Amarnath pilgrims this July and August.
The decision to ban helicopters was announced on June 16, following the advice of the Union Home Ministry. The order designates both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes as “no-fly-zones” from July 1 to August 10, effectively suspending the aviation access , including helicopters, drones and balloons during the 2025 Yatra.
Full aviation ban: Omar Abdullah calls it ‘strange’ and ‘weird’
Omar Abdullah welcomed the commencement of the annual pilgrimage scheduled from July 3 to August 9. However, he called the suspension of aerial transport as “strange” and “absurd”. He warned that it might convey a negative message to the region’s stability to the rest of the country. Abdullah was quoted by the Telegraph as saying, “I do not have the intelligence inputs on which this decision was made, but it should not send a wrong message to the people in the country about the situation here.”
The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, led by LG Manoj Sinha confirmed that the June 16 order includes a full aviation ban during the pilgrimage period.
Abdullah’s statement has once again deepened the ongoing tensions between the Union Territory’s elected leadership and the LG’s office, partly over administrative conflicts such as large scale bureaucratic transfers.
He had previously criticised the Centre’s ongoing delay in restoring full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah however clarified that he supports successful pilgrimage.
Security ramped up in light of the Pahalgam attack
A high level meeting was held on Tuesday. As reported by PTI, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka and senior officials from the Army, BSF, CRPF, local police, and other security agencies were also present during the review session.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan assessed the security framework in place for the forthcoming pilgrimage.
According to the authorities, CCTV monitoring, facial recognition and various other advance surveillance measures have been deployed for ensuring the safety of the pilgrims. Security arrangements have been significantly heightened and large scale measures have been taken in the wake of the recent attack in Pahalgam.
The Pahalgam terror attack killed 26 people, mostly tourists. In 2018 eight people were killed during the Amarnath Yatra.
