National Conference Additional General Secretary and former minister, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, today strongly pitched for a judicial enquiry into the avoidable tragic deaths of over 30 pilgrims following a landslide on the revered Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine route, saying the catastrophe could have been avoided with timely precautionary measures.
Expressing deep shock and anguish over the loss of precious lives, Sadhotra said, “The tragedy is not merely an act of nature but a grim reminder of the administration’s and Shri Mata Vashino Devi Shrine board’s failure to act with foresight.
The Yatra should have been suspended immediately in view of heavy rains and inclement weather warnings. Unfortunately, despite the glaring risks, the flow of pilgrims was not halted. This lapse has cost over 30 lives, leaving families devastated forever.”
The National Conference Additional General Secretary said that responsibility must be fixed and accountability enforced at every level.
“There is need for a thorough, transparent, and credible judicial probe that establishes the truth, identifies the guilty, and ensures such negligence is never repeated again,” he said.
He also emphasized the need for a time bound fast-track investigation so that guilty officials or agencies, whether due to negligence, mismanagement, or dereliction of duty, are brought to justice without delay.
“Justice delayed will only deepen the wounds of the bereaved families. The guilty must be punished in a time-bound manner to restore people’s faith in pilgrimage management,” Sadhotra added.
The former minister cautioned against attempts to trivialize or hush up the tragedy under the garb of routine inquiries. He said the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage is among the holiest shrines of India, drawing lakhs of devotees from across the country and abroad. The management owes it to the devotees, the bereaved families, and the nation to ensure full accountability and transparency, he said, and called for structural reforms in pilgrimage safety management.
Mr. Sadhotra expressed profound solidarity with the grieving families, saying, “Our hearts go out to those who lost their dear ones in this shocking tragedy. Words cannot compensate for their irreparable loss. On behalf of the National Conference and the people of Jammu and Kashmir, I extend deepest condolences and prayers for the peace of the departed souls.”
He also prayed for the early recovery of the injured and appealed to the Shrine Board and administration to extend best possible treatment and support.
Reiterating that pilgrim safety should get top priority, Mr. Sadhotra said, “Devotion must not be allowed to turn into disaster due to negligence. This tragedy is a lesson written in blood. It must awaken the system to prioritize human lives above everything else.”