Why Char Dham not open when everything opened in state: Cong, AAP to govt
DEHRADUN: The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are demanding that the state government should allow resumption of Char Dham yatra as most things in the state are open with sharp decline number of Covid cases.
Harish Rawat, Congress leader and former chief minister, observed a symbolic fast and silence for one hour at his residence here on Friday, demanding reopening of the yatra.
Four shrines – Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri – in the state are together called Char Dham.
Rawat said when political rallies can be held, why not Char Dhan yatra. “Everything is open in the state except Char Dham yatra.”
“Political rallies and events are being organised by all parties in the state, even by our party. Tourists can come to hill stations. Then why Char Dham yatra cannot be allowed with proper Covid guidelines. This yatra is linked with livelihood of lakhs of people. So, I feel it should be opened…,” he said.
Rawat said this is why he observed one-hour symbolic fast at his residence to push the government to make efforts for starting the yatra. “The government instead of fling a special leave petition in the Supreme Court, should have filed a plea in the high court that now the
Covid cases have come down to a trickle in the state as such the yatra should be allowed with curbs,” he said.
AAP state unit president SS Kaler said when tourism activities, malls, schools and all kinds of facilities have been opened in the state, why Char Dham yatra has been stopped. “We want the government to start Char Dham yatra with Covid curbs so that people associated with the yatra can earn their livelihood,” he said. Devendra Bhasin, vice president of the BJP, said the government wanted to start Char Dham yatra and had in fact prepared
SOP for the same, but the high court stayed the government’s decision. “Now, the government has withdrawn its special leave petition against the stay, it will again make a plea before the HC that the yatra be allowed with curbs. Congress and AAP leaders are doing politics over yatra. They very well know that a due process has to be adopted when the matter is pending before the courts. But they are trying to mislead people on this issue,” he said.
On June 20, the state government had announced the opening of Char Dham yatra in two phases. On June 28, the HC stayed the decision to allow Char Dham yatra. The HC had directed the state government that instead, it should live stream daily ritual ceremonies held at the four shrines. However, the government approached the apex court and filed a special leave petition challenging the HC decision.
Shiv Bhatt, counsel of one of the petitioners in the matter, said the state government filed an application for withdrawal of its SLP in the apex court, which was accepted on Thursday. “On Friday, I mentioned this matter before the chief justice. It was decided that a joint proposal of petitioners and the state government will be framed which will list arrangements, conditions and curbs for the yatra and the same will be produced before the HC on September 16, when the court will hear the matter,” he said. Bhatt said in the past few weeks whenever the state government approached the HC with the plea that yatra should be allowed, the HC had maintained that its June 28 stay on Char Dham yatra will remain in force as the case is pending before the SC. The case regarding Char Dham yatra is being heard by the HC in a bunch of PILs, which have been filed by Sachdanand Dabral, Dushyant Mainali, Anu Pant and Rajendra Arya, related to various issues regarding the fight against the Covid in the state.
Congress and AAP leaders are doing politics over yatra... they are trying to mislead people on (Char Dham) issue DEVENDRA BHASIN, BJP state vice president