Badrinath donation theft case: Cong says Oppn leader should head probe panel

Dehradun, July 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Congress strongly hit out at the Uttarakhand government on Wednesday regarding the theft case of donations at the Badrinath Temple and expressed a lack of confidence in the ongoing investigation into the "irregularities" concerning the shrine's offerings.

Apart from being in the headlines amid the ongoing Char Dham Yatra, Badrinath Temple, one of the most revered sites of Sanatan Dharm located in Uttarakhand's Chamoli, grabbed attention after several claims on social media about the irregularities relating to the offerings at the shrine.

This also came against the backdrop of the ongoing controversy over the embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.

Following the allegations, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) filed an FIR with the Uttarakhand Police. Subsequently, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government constituted a three-member high-level committee on the instructions to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the issue.

In response, Uttarakhand Congress President Ganesh Godiyal told IANS: "All this is merely a cover-up. The government is not conducting the kind of investigation that should actually take place. I said on the very first day that this incident at a place of faith for crores of devotees has deeply affected our religious sentiments. In such a situation, an all-party committee must be formed to conduct the investigation, headed by a leader from the Opposition."

"Everyone involved in the inquiry should take an oath in the name of Lord Badrinath and pledge that they will rise above political considerations and carry out the investigation in a transparent manner," he further stated.

Referring to the investigation into the Ankita Bhandari murder case, Godiyal said: "Just like how SIT covered up the Ankita Bhandari murder case evidence, this committee will do the same thing. I have no faith in it."

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Dhami said that if there were any irregularities relating to the donations made at Shri Badrinath Temple, it would be "a sin amounting to cow slaughter", while assuring that strict action would be taken against whoever is found guilty in the case.

Addressing reporters during an event in Haridwar, CM Dhami said: "Whoever is found guilty won't be spared. Strict action will be taken. A committee has been formed, and police have started their preliminary probe."

"This is a sin amounting to cow slaughter. It is a massive sin like that of murdering one's own parents. This cannot be forgiven," he further added.

"The law will take its own course, and the guilty will be punished," he assured.

Source: IANS