Congress leader Pratap demands BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi’s resignation over alleged Corruption and Thefts at Badrinath-Kedarnath Temples
Dehradun :Uttarakhand Congress senior vice president and spokesperson Dheerendra Pratap on Sunday demanded the immediate resignation of Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Hemant Dwivedi, holding him responsible for a series of alleged irregularities at the shrines, including the earlier reported theft of diamonds, jewellery and crores of rupees, and the more recent disappearance of laptops.
In a statement issued today, Dheerendra Pratap said Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal was right in questioning the probe panel set up by Dwivedi to investigate the Badrinath thefts. “It is like assigning a cat to guard the milk,” he said, arguing that an independent inquiry is needed to establish the facts.
He said the current situation demands that Dwivedi step down on moral grounds until the investigation is completed and “the truth is brought out.” According to Pratap, Dwivedi had faced allegations earlier as well, but was protected by the state government and by his “BJP and Sangh patrons.”
“It is unfortunate that people who claim to be devotees of Lord Ram are today being accused in cases of theft and loot in temples,” Pratap said, calling the alleged siphoning of temple offerings a shameful act.
Highlighting Congress’s statewide fast and satyagraha against the incidents, he said the programs saw participation by thousands of people across Uttarakhand. “This shows that the people of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand are not ready to forgive BJP workers and leaders for this despicable act of temple theft, and they want all those guilty to be punished,” he added.
On the party’s organizational front, Pratap said all arrangements have been finalized to welcome AICC General Secretary and Kerala election strategist K.C. Venugopal, who is scheduled to visit Uttarakhand. He said Venugopal would receive a grand reception on his arrival in the state.
It may be recalled that Hemant Dwivedi has already started probe into the alleged corruption in the temple donation assuring that whosoever is guilty will not be spared at any cost and punished stringently as per the law.
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