New Delhi: Various Hindu organisations on Friday converged at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to protest strongly against government’s devious design to shorten the Baba Amarnath Yatra. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Jammu Kashmir People’s Forum, Bajrang Dal and Sanatan Dharma Pratinidhi Sabha were among the several Hindu organisations that took part in the protests against the forcible shortening of Baba Amarnath Yatra. During the protests the protestors performed Tandava Nritya of Lord Shiv. They later on burned an effigy of NN Vohra, the governor of Jammu & Kashmir. Addressing the protestors, former Parliamentarian and Kendriya Advisor of VHP Shri BL Sharma “Prem” said, “All atrocities are committed against Hindus in this country, only because Hindus do not protest and react. I, on behalf of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad warn the government that each and every VHP activist will fight against atrocities on Hindus till the last drop of blood in their body.” Shri Prem added that in 2009 the Amarnath Yatra was allowed for 60 days, in 2010 it came down to 55 days, in 2011 it further came down to 45 days and now in 2012 the Yatra has been reduced to 39 days. All this is happening despite an exponential increase in the number of Yatris. Shri Prem added that the Shrine Board’s job is only to oversee the arrangements of Amarnath Yatra and not decide upon its tenure. As per the decision of Courts and recommendations of the Sen Committee only 10,000 Yatris can perform Pooja and Darshan at the Holy Cave of Baba Amarnath in one single day. By this calculation around 4 lakh devotees can perform Pooja and Darshan in the forcibly stipulated 39 days in 2012. However, around 7 lakh devotees had gone for Darshan and Pooja in the last year and it is expected that around 8 lakh devotees would want to go for the Amarnath Yatra this year. Also, according to Hindu religious beliefs the Yatra can begin only from Jyeshtha Poornima (June 4). Shri Tarun Vijay, Rajya Sabha MP said that around 90% tourists and revenues of Jammu & Kashmir come from Maa Vaishno Devi and Baba Amarnath Yatra. “Under no circumstances will the terrorists decide the duration and tenure of Baba Amarnath Yatra.” Shri Vijay added that Hindu religion follows the principle of Vasudev Kutumbakam and I want to warn the Abdullah government that they should not dare to wake up a sleeping tiger. Shri Avinash Khanna, the Parliamentarian from Punjab who raised the issue of shortening of the Amarnath Yatra, said that the Amarnath Yatra is as important to Hindus as Haj is for Muslims. He added that though the government has said that it would respect the sentiments of Hindus yet till the time Hindu community does not struggle, as a whole, this government is not going to take any substantial step. Other leaders who participated in this protest included Shri Satyendra Mohan, Mahamantri VHP, Shri Gurdeen Prasad, Prant Mantri VHP and Shri Brij Mohan Sethi, Vice President VHP. Leaders from the Jammu Kashmir People’s Forum included Ajay Kaul, Smt Vandana Bhagat and Shri Manoj Khandelwal. Also present were Sardar Jaswant Singh from the Youth for Nations, Smt Simmi Ahuja from Matrishakti and Smt Sanjana Chaudhri of Durga Vahini.