Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 8 Jul: Congress MLA from the Badrinath Assembly constituency, Lakhpat Singh Butola, launched a sharp attack on the Uttarakhand Government and the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) during a press conference held in the state capital, today.
He demanded that the alleged irregularities involving donations and offerings made by devotees at Badrinath Dham be investigated by a special committee comprising three sitting judges of the High Court. He also called for strict action against those found guilty.
Addressing the media, Butola became emotional and said, “I represent the sacred land that is home to Lord Vishnu’s divine abode, Badrinath Dham, and the holy shrine of Shri Hemkund Sahib, the land of the Gurus’ penance. Today, theft of devotees’ offerings is allegedly taking place at these revered shrines. This has caused me immense pain and anguish, and has deeply hurt the sentiments of millions of Sanatan followers across India and abroad.”
Criticising the government’s approach to the investigation, he recited a couplet, “The thief is yours, the government’s protection is yours; you can declare the thief honest, because even the investigating officer is yours.”
During the press conference, Butola raised the following key points:
Demand for a High Court probe: He said the Congress has no faith in any departmental or local inquiry and insisted that a time-bound investigation be conducted by a committee of three sitting High Court judges to uncover the truth behind the alleged scam.
Attack on religious faith: He described the alleged theft of temple offerings at Badrinath Dham as not merely a case of financial corruption but a serious assault on the religious sentiments of millions of devotees in India and abroad.
Claim of dissatisfaction within the ruling party: Butola alleged that even legislators from the ruling party are not being heard by their own government.
Neglect of hill regions: He claimed that despite the government’s tall promises of development, people in the hill areas continue to struggle for basic amenities, quality education, and healthcare.
He further alleged that the government was attempting to evade accountability by making a junior employee a scapegoat. According to him, since members of the BKTC are appointed by the government, it must also accept responsibility for any alleged wrongdoing within the committee. Drawing a comparison with the Ram Temple donation controversy, he argued that just as the Prime Minister’s Office could not avoid accountability if appointments to a trust were made by the central government, the state government also cannot distance itself from the BKTC. He alleged that efforts were being made to punish minor offenders while protecting those more responsible.
The press conference was attended by State Congress spokesperson Dr Pratima Singh, former Dehradun Metropolitan Congress president Lal Chand Sharma, former Chamoli district president Virendra Singh, and Vijendra Rawat.
