Summary:
We had already declared that no vehicle, including yatra vehicles, should ply on roads. After we staged a dharna and police intervened, they allowed vehicles to go ahead.”Transporters, however, denied that any stone-pelting took place.Secretary, Bhatwari taxi union, Rajesh Chauhan, said, “Nobody threw stones at anybody. Some pilgrims alleged that the vehicles were pelted with stones to force them to stop.Several pilgrims staged a dharna at Gangotri highway protesting against the “autocracy of transport unions and failure of the local administration.”Narendra Chauhan, a pilgrim from Bengaluru, said, “Transporters threw stones at yatra vehicles to stop them from moving towards Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines. Many pilgrims found themselves in a difficult situation as there were very few taxis or buses on routes to Gangotri and Yamunotri.At Dharasu Band, taxi and bus union members forcefully stopped yatra vehicles going to Gangotri and Yamunotri, leading to a heated argument between pilgrims and protesting transporters. Despite pleading with them they did not allow vehicles to go ahead, instead they misbehaved with us..