Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 13 Jul: BJP MLA Vinod Chamoli today claimed that casting aspersions on all the priests engaged in temple rituals amounted to weakening public faith in Sanatan traditions. He also hit back at Uttarakhand Congress President Ganesh Godiyal over the ongoing Badrinath offering theft controversy, asserting that, if Godiyal could not be held responsible for allegedly giving protection to the accused or for his regularisation during his tenure, then neither the state government, the Chief Minister nor the Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC) can be blamed for the alleged theft.
Replying to questions from media persons at the BJP State headquarters here, today, Chamoli said the livelihood of priests and ritualistic Brahmins serving in temples and religious institutions depended on the offerings and dakshina voluntarily given by devotees. He said these priests performed religious ceremonies for devotees and sustained themselves through such contributions. Casting suspicion on the entire community because of the alleged misconduct of one or two individuals, he said, would erode people’s faith not only in priests but also in the Sanatan tradition itself.
He said the community associated with religious rituals is vast and any wrongdoing by an individual should not be used to tarnish the image of the entire fraternity. According to him, even if an isolated incident has taken place, it should not be linked with the entire community of priests and ritual practitioners.
Supporting the recent statement of the BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt on the issue, Chamoli said that Bhatt’s statement is based on experience and reflects the ground reality. He said the remarks should be viewed in their proper context and accepted accordingly.
Responding to Godiyal’s remarks, Chamoli said the Congress leader had attempted to advise him by asking whether a father could be held responsible for the mistakes of his son. Chamoli said he had raised precisely the same question before the Congress and is glad that the point now appears to have been understood.
Referring to thefts reported at religious places, including the alleged offering theft at Badrinath and an incident at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Chamoli said there is no justification for targeting the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister or the BKTC Chairman merely because such incidents had occurred. He said the accused in the Badrinath case is under investigation and legal action would follow the outcome of the probe. Despite this, he alleged, the Congress continues to hold the State Government, the Chief Minister and the Temple Committee responsible.
Chamoli further contended that since Godiyal himself had earlier stated that the accused employee had been regularised during his tenure, the Congress should also explain its role. He said that if Godiyal maintains he is not responsible for the subsequent actions of the employee, then by the same logic the Government, the CM and the Temple Committee can’t be held accountable for the alleged offence either.
Accusing the Congress of adopting double standards, Chamoli said the party follows one yardstick for itself and another for the BJP. He said if the Congress President believes that he bears no responsibility for the actions of the employee after his regularisation, then the Congress should also stop blaming the PM, the CM and the Temple Committee for the alleged thefts at Ayodhya and Badrinath. However, if the Congress insists on fixing accountability on those holding office, then, he added, Godiyal too would have to answer questions regarding his own role.
