Haridwar, July 5 (HS): The controversy over alleged financial irregularities in offerings at the Badrinath Dham temple has intensified, with the saints' community in Haridwar demanding a fair and transparent investigation into the matter.
The demand comes after the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) constituted a four-member committee to probe the allegations.
Welcoming the decision, Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad President and Secretary of Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani, Shri Mahant Ravindra Puri Maharaj, said a thorough and impartial inquiry was essential to maintain the sanctity of the shrine. He added that if the Uttarakhand government also took strict action, such incidents could be prevented in the future.
He said thefts or irregularities in ordinary temples were occasionally reported, but allegations involving one of the country's most revered pilgrimage centres were a matter of serious concern.
Ravindra Puri urged BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi to ensure the deployment of experienced staff and further strengthen the monitoring mechanism at the temple.
He said Badrinath Dham is a centre of faith for crores of devotees from across India and abroad, who offer donations according to their devotion. Any complaint of irregularity in handling such offerings, he said, was unfortunate and should not be treated lightly.
The saint further said the matter should not remain confined to a departmental inquiry alone. He demanded the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct an independent and transparent investigation so that the truth could be established.
He also called for strict legal action against anyone found guilty during the investigation.
The controversy surfaced after an organisation, Bhairav Sena, submitted a complaint to the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, following which the committee constituted a four-member panel to investigate the allegations. The inquiry is currently underway.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar
