Ask from Vijay Bahuguna, not UPA: Harish Rawat tell PM Modi

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Friday hit back at Narendra Modi for alleging that he was not allowed to help in the revamping of Kedarnath Temple after 2013 flood, saying that the matter is between the Prime Minister and then Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna and there is no point dragging the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in it.

Rawat said no one can stop a person from helping others if they really wanted to.

"Nobody can stop those who want to help others. Who could have stopped Prime Minister Modi if he wanted to help? He should not have complaints from Congress but should have from it from Vijay Bahuguna, he was the Chief Minister at that time he stopped him," Rawat said.

"The Centre does not interfere in such works. The matter is between Prime Minister Modi and Vijay Bahuguna. It is within BJP," he added.

Rawat also condemned the Prime Minister for raising such issue from the holy land of Lord Shiva and said that never in the history has anyone dared to address a political issue from the holy shrine.

"It seems like he spoke for the welfare of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as he mostly addressed political issues. This is first time that somebody has given a political message from Kedarnath," he said.

"They are just serving stale food, I don't know what they are doing," he added.

Rawat's reaction came after Prime Minister Modi alleged that the UPA Government in 2013 did not allow him to help in the construction work of the destroyed Kedarnath Temple.

"The floods of 2013 had made all of us extremely sad. That time I was not the Prime Minister, I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. I came here to do all that I could for victims. But the Central Government at that time (UPA) forced the state government to announce that they don't need the help of Gujarat government for the reconstruction of the Kedarnath Temple. But I think the Lord has decided that this work will be done by me," he said while addressing gathering at Kedernath Temple after inaugurating various development projects.