'Why temple committee not clarifying...': Cong leader over gold plating row

In the ongoing controversy over the gold plating of the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath Dham Temple, former Uttarakhand Minister and Congress Disciplinary Committee Chairman Navprabhat said the information that is coming to the fore points out towards getting the investigation done regarding the amount of gold donated to the temple.

Talking to ANI, Navprabhat said, "Some discussions have arisen regarding the donation of gold by a donor in Kedarnath and doubts are being expressed by the people. I have also spoken to some people who have been associated with this management committee and know about it in detail."

The former minister said that there has been a tradition in all religions that people donate money to temples and that is how places of worship are built, but the question here is why our Badrinath-Kedarnath Management Committee is not clarifying it.

He said how much gold was received as a donation, as well as why gold was mixed with copper and many such questions are being raised. The Congress leader said that a question also arises as to whose account the money was deposited in the silver leaf that was fixed there.

He told that information is being received about this happening not only in Kedarnath but also in Badrinath. All these doubts point towards getting the investigation done.

Former Minister Navprabhat said that the work being done in the four Dhams is being done directly under the supervision of the Prime Minister's Office, even an officer has been appointed here who has been associated with the Prime Minister's Office earlier.

He said that in such a situation it becomes even more important that the correct information about that episode should reach the people. He said that the faith of crores of people is related to the four Dhams, so a clear account of all the donations received and all the property should come in front of the people, which will not hurt the religious sentiments of the people.

Along with this, the former minister also said that whatever is coming to the fore through social media, it seems that there is some scam somewhere, if there is an investigation, it will come out whether he is doing a scam in donating or income tax. Certificates are being obtained in the guise of these temples, so it is very important to check them.

Earlier on June 19, Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) president Ajendra Ajay said that gold-plating has been done on the jaleri of the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath temple and a transparent acrylic layer has also been applied over it so that the gold polish is not damaged.

BKTC refuted claims on social media platforms that the gold plating of the sanctum sanctorum of the Kedarnath temple is brass. It had termed such reports as "conspiracy".

Ajay had said that the gold plating of the temple's sanctum sanctorum was done by a donor. The committee said the donor had expressed his desire to gold-encrust the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath Temple and respecting the feelings of the donor, the permission was granted after examining the proposal.

The gold-plating was done under the supervision of the experts of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

BKTC has also clarified that the work of making the sanctum sanctorum gold-plated has been done by the donor.