Dehradun: Amid a row over alleged irregularities in the handling of pilgrims’ offerings and donations at Badrinath Dham, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has constituted a four-member panel to probe the allegations.
The committee said it took cognisance of allegations that went viral on social media.
BKTC Chief Executive Officer Sohan Singh Rangad said on Sunday that chairman Hemant Dwivedi constituted the inquiry panel to ensure an impartial investigation and directed it to examine all available evidence before submitting its report within seven days.
The committee will conduct a detailed probe based on CCTV footage, statements of the concerned individuals and other available evidence, Rangad said.
The issue has triggered a political controversy in Uttarakhand, coming close on the heels of allegations of irregularities in handling offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
State Congress president Ganesh Godiyal described the allegations related to Badrinath Dham as serious, targeted the Uttarakhand government led by Pushkar Singh Dhami and demanded strict action against those found guilty.
Godiyal said followers of the Sanatan faith had been hurt by allegations of corruption — first at the Ram Temple and now at Badrinath Dham — and urged the state government to take stringent action against those responsible.
On Saturday, Godiyal, along with Congress workers, held a silent protest at the Bagnath Temple complex in Bageshwar against the alleged irregularities in offerings and donations at both the Ram Temple and Badrinath Temple.
Earlier on Friday, BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi clarified that an employee being projected on social media as his “private secretary” was, in fact, a regular government employee of the temple committee and not his private secretary.
Dwivedi had also said that strict action would be taken if the allegations were found to be true during the inquiry.
Rangad said the BKTC had taken cognisance of the allegations circulating on social media on July 2. CCTV footage from the temple premises was examined, but the available footage was not entirely clear, he said.
Given the gravity and sensitivity of the matter, the BKTC chairman was immediately informed and explanations were sought from the employees concerned, Rangad added.
He said if anyone is found guilty in the inquiry committee’s report, strict departmental and legal action will be initiated under the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Act, 1939, and the applicable employee conduct rules.
Rangad also appealed to devotees and the public not to circulate unverified or misleading information until the inquiry is completed, saying the matter concerns one of the country’s holiest pilgrimage sites and the faith of millions of devotees.
