Cong continues to politicise issue of Kedarnath temple in Delhi
By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun/Haridwar, 16 Jul: The Congress is not letting the controversy over the proposed construction of a Kedarnath temple in Delhi die down. Political analysts claim that one major reason behind the Congress continuing to rake up this issue and politicising is the upcoming assembly by-poll in Kedarnath due to death of incumbent MLA Shaila Rani Rawat. Recent victories in Manglaur and Badrinath constituencies have lifted the morale of the Congress and now it is leaving no stone unturned to snatch victory in upcoming Kedarnath poll. The Congress has launched a sustained attack against the BJP Government regarding the proposed construction of Kedarnath Temple. Sources allege that Congress is also behind the continuous protest by the Teerth Purohits from Kedarnath. On the one hand, protests were held in Rishikesh and other places by the Teerth Purohits from Kedarnath against the proposed construction of a Kedarnath temple in Delhi and, on the other, former PCC Chief Ganesh Godiyal and the current PCC Chief Karan Mahata jointly addressed a press conference in Haridwar and blamed the government on this issue, very conveniently forgetting the fact that their own chief minister in 2016 had laid the foundation stone of Kedarnath temple in Navi Mumbai and that time there was no objection from any political party or leader from Congress to the construction. This is besides the fact that there is a Kedarnath in Kurla in Mumbai, too.
Congress workers today staged a protest in Dehradun over the proposed construction of Kedarnath temple in Delhi and even burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at Astley Hall opposite the Congress Bhawan. The protest was led by Mahanagar Congress Chief Dr Jaswinder Gogi, who accused the Dhami government of repeatedly tampering with religious faith in Kedarnath Dham.
Holding a press meet in Haridwar, Ganesh Godiyal opposed the foundation stone laying of the symbolic form of the Kedarnath temple being built in Delhi. Godiyal also opposed the statement of Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami in which he said that the public is being misled regarding the form of the Kedarnath temple being built in Delhi. He said that it would be better if the Chief Minister apologises to the public for this.
Godiyal claimed that the Chief Minister participated in the foundation stone laying programme of Kedarnath temple in Delhi, which is indicative of his involvement in the construction. Godiyal said that the Chief Minister tried to get glory by attending the programme. But, in reality, the Chief Minister is engaged in misleading the public, the Congress leader claimed.
Godiyal also claimed that the CM may have made this mistake knowingly or unknowingly, but he should have shown magnanimity and changed the name of the temple being built in Delhi using his position. Godiyal said that the foundation stone was placed in Delhi by taking the stone from the Kedarnath temple, which is an attempt to lead the religion, spiritual beliefs on a commercial path.
Godiyal asserted that the CM still has time left to salvage his image and save the faith of Uttarakhand. The stone taken to Delhi should be brought back. He said that anyone can build a temple, but a replica of Kedarnath should not be made. In such a situation, the Chief Minister cannot hurt anyone’s feelings and we are also requesting that organisation that this is a question of the faith of the people of Uttarakhand.
Congress state president Karan Mahara has also attacked the government fiercely on this issue. Raising the issue of gold plating in the sanctum sanctorum of Uttarakhand Kedarnath temple, he claimed that 228 kg of gold was stolen. He asked how did the Chief Minister go to Delhi with the stone? In such a situation, will the Archaeological Department take action against the Chief Minister, he asked. He said that there are only four Dhams in the entire country. There cannot be a fifth Dham. But the BJP government is making the Dham a centre of business.
