Panun Kashmir, an organisation of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, on Thursday asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to pass the Hindu Shrines Bill during the ongoing Budget session of the State Legislature.
“In the absence of any institutional mechanism for the preservation of the temples and shrines in Kashmir, the land mafia is free to indulge in the annexation of the said properties with impunity and without fear of law.
“In view of this, we request the government to pass the J&K Hindu Shrines and Religious Places (Management and Regulation) Bill in this session,” Virender Raina, spokesman, Panun Kashmir, told reporters in Jammu.
Mr. Raina said that these temples and shrines were the symbols of religious beliefs and need to be protected.
The spokesman added that the government is fully aware of the situation and has accepted this dire state of affairs, but it is really surprising that they have not passed the Bill in this regard, which is pending in the House for the last few years.
Published - March 21, 2013 04:26 pm IST
