U'khand govt's decision to allow liquor plant in Devprayag has hurt Hindu sentiments: Sant Samiti

Criticising the Uttarakhand government for setting up a liquor plant in the holy town of Devprayag, RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, an umbrella body of Hindu seers, on Thursday said the step has hurt the community's sentiments.

General secretary of the organisation, which is associated with right-wing group Vishva Hindu Parishad, Swami Jitendranand Saraswati said it was a very unfortunate step by the state government to allow the liquor plant to be set up at a prominent religious place like Devprayag.

Devprayag in Tehri district is revered by Hindus as it is the meeting point of two headstreams of the Ganga river -- Bhagirathi and Alaknanda.

"This decision has pained the saints. Such a decision was not expected from the BJP government in the state. We have met the state leaders and BJP's leadership and told them that this decision of Uttarakhand is against the sentiments of Hindu devotees," Saraswati said.

Demanding that the plant be moved out of the holy town, he added that governments should not treat religious places like any other tourist destination.