BJP State General Secretary Harinder Gupta, while reacting to the statements of some elements in the valley for opposing / showing their reservations on Abhinavgupt Yatra, termed it most unfortunate and said that such elements should not poke their nose in each and every matter just to remain in public. He said that the
Kashmiri people irrespective of their religion, caste and creed are proud of their heritage and culture whose existence nourished in the valley thousand years back but few elements are working to create confusions.
Harinder Gupta said that the Yatra is not going to disturb the peaceful environment in the state anyway as it is meant to reaffirm the faith and belief in the multifaceted cultural and religious philosophical history of Kashmir valley. It is an attempt to focus and reiterate the composite culture of the valley. The opposition voiced by Sayed Ali Shah Geelani and others to the yatra betrays the lack of faith in Kashmiriyat as well as thousands of years old intellectual and cultural developments. This reaffirmation in the composite Kashmiriyat by undertaking the Yatra named after the most illustrious son of the soil, who was a philosopher, mystic, aesthetician, poet and polymathic personality, who influenced not only Kashmir valley but the Indian intellectual and cultural thought processes as well, will spread the message of brotherhood and respect for other faiths.
Harinder Gupta said that the yatra is being undertaken not to undermine the Muslim majority character of the valley but to highlight the glorious cultural and intellectual movement of the valley and which has been internationally recognized. The opposition being voiced against the Yatra is indicative of narrow and biased mindset of certain elements in the valley.
