High court revokes dissolution of Badri-Kedar temple committee

In a setback to the BJP government in the state, the Uttarakhand High Court has revoked the dissolution of the Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee.
In an order issued yesterday, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia of the high court declared as illegal the dissolution of the panel before completion of its three-year tenure without any complaint against its working.
The order directing the committee's reinstatement came on a petition filed by its members Dinkar Babulkar and Diwakar Chamoli.
The high court's order is being seen as a setback to the BJP government in the state which had dissolved the committee after taking over in March this year.

Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj had dissolved the committee on April 1 and ordered constitution of a new one.
The order was challenged by Babulkar and Chamoli and the court restored the committee overturning the government order.
However, on May 30, the Secretary (religious matters) once again ordered demolition of the committee.
Once again the order was challenged before the high court on the grounds that the rules of the Badri-Kedar Committee provide for a term of three years which had not concluded and there had been no complaint against the working of the panel.