PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Seeking immediate removal of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) chairman Hemant Dwivedi, Badrinath MLA Lakhpat Singh Butola has said that a committee of three sitting judges of the High Court should be constituted to investigate the allegation of theft in offerings at Badrinath Dham. He said that chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Religious Affairs minister Satpal Maharaj should also owe the moral responsibility of the issue which has hurt the sentiments of crores of Hindus.
Addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan here on Wednesday, Butola said that people have no faith in any departmental or internal investigation in the case. He said that the alleged theft of donations in Badrinath Dham is not just financial corruption, but a deep blow to the religious faith of crores of Sanatanis in the country and abroad.
Holding the State government responsible for the alleged misappropriation of donations, Butola said that all the government has made all the appointments in BKTC. He said that the government cannot shun away from its responsibility by using a low-level employee as a scapegoat.
Becoming emotional, Butola said, “I represent that sacred and holy land where Lord Vishnu’s Vaikuntha Dham is located, where Shri Hemkund Sahib, the abode of the Gurus, is located. Today, offerings are being stolen from these sacred shrines and temples. This puts everyone in pain. The sentiments of millions of Sanatanis in India and abroad have been hurt.’’
State Congress spokesperson Pratima Singh and former Mahanagar president Lal Chand Sharma accompanied Butola.
