Jammu/Srinagar, June 25
In a bid to resolve the controversy over the duration of the Amarnath pilgrimage, the Governor, Lt-Gen S.K. Sinha, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammd Sayeed and Deputy Chief Minister, Mangat Ram Sharma, will sit together at Srinagar on Sunday to hammer out a solution.

The Home Minister, Mr Shivraj Patil, and the Union Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, reportedly talked to the Mufti on the telephone from Delhi this morning and asked him not to stand on prestige on the issue that had put the Congress in an awkward position.

They are learnt to have suggested to the Chief Minister that he should sit together with the Governor and the Deputy Chief Minister to find an honourable solution to the dispute.

Four ministers belonging to the Congress yesterday resigned in protest against the adamant attitude of the Mufti on curtailing the pilgrimage to one month.

Mr Sharma flew to Delhi yesterday to apprise the party leaders of these developments. He along with Mr Azad met Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Mr Shivraj Patil, Mrs Ambika Soni, Mr Ahmed Patel and certain other leaders.

It is learnt that the Congress leaders were of the view that the Mufti should not interfere in the matter and allow the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) headed by the Governor to function independently.

The Governor, who is also chairman of the Amarnath Shrine Board, has urged the people not to adopt an agitational approach over yatra. He expressed the hope that a satisfactory solution would be found to this issue with due regard to security considerations and religious sentiments.

In a related development, the State Government announced that the duration of the current year’s Amarnath Yatra had been extended from 30 days to 40 days, beginning July 20 instead of July 29 as announced earlier.

A government spokesman said now the annual Shri Amarnathji Yatra will commence on July 20 from Jammu instead of August 1. According to the revised schedule, the first group of pilgrims with permits from Baltal route will have darshan of the Holy Ice Lingam in the cave shrine on July 21 while those taking the traditional route will proceed to the Holy Cave from Pahalgam on July 21.

The Chief Secretary, Dr Sudhir S. Bloeria, is convening a high level meeting to tie-up all arrangements for the safe and smooth conduct of the yatra in view of the government decision of its early commencement. The available infrastructure and arrangements can take about 800 pilgrims from Baltal side and 2700 pilgrims from Pahalgam side daily as recommended by the Nitish Sen Gupta Committee. This is for the first time that the period of annual Shri Amarnathji Yatra has been extended beyond one month. During pre-militancy period, the yatra used to be for a brief period.

Meanwhile, the BJP has described the resignation of four ministers as a drama to mislead the people of Jammu region.