Members of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal faction headed by Kashi Singh Airy, staged a protest demonstration at the district Collectorate against the decision to open another route for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.
The protesters demanded that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra be conducted only through Uttarakhand and warned that they would take to the roads to protest if the Central Government did not take concrete steps to meet this demand.
The protesters said that UKD opposes the decision to open an alternate route to Kailash Mansarovar via Nathu-la pass. They said that the pilgrimage through Uttarakhand is significant for various religious and historical reasons. Opening an alternate route for the pilgrimage amounts to questioning the historical religious importance of Uttarakhand. From the strategic point of view the Central Government should desist from facilitating road connectivity to Nathu-la pass in Sikkim in order to prevent undesirable consequences in the future. The Central Government has not yet facilitated development and proper maintenance of the traditional Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route through Uttarakhand. The protesters warned that they would start an agitation if the Central Government fails to take concrete action in this direction soon.