Cong accuses BJP of ‘breaching sanctity’ of Kedarnath shrine
DEHRADUN: The ruling BJP and opposition Congress have indulged into a slugfest accusing each other of “breaching the sanctity” of Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag district.
The slugfest started after the
Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders, including chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, of breaching the sanctity of the shrine by wearing shoes in the shrine and the sitting in front of it by showing their back.
The allegations were levelled by the Congress following the
November 5 Kedarnath visit of Modi during which he performed a special puja at the shrine and then addressed a gathering in front of it from a makeshift stage.
“What Modi and the other BJP leaders did on that day, is unpardonable. They not just wore shoes in the temple but showed their backs towards Lord Kedarnath which was totally against the sanctity and faith,” said Harish Rawat, Congress national general secretary. “The PM’s act of wearing shoes in the sacred place of Kedarnath temple has opened a Pandora’s box. Now, all the other BJP leaders will do the same by taking advantage of his act which has hurt the sentiments of devotees.”
The BJP countered the allegations by citing the visits of present Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamalnath inside Kedarnath shrine while wearing shoes in 2013. “The Congress is accusing our leaders of breaching the sanctity of Kedarnath but they should not forget the acts of their own leaders. In 2013, Godiyal and Kamalnath had gone inside the temple wearing shoes which grossly breached the sanctity of temple. The Congress should first look at its own acts than accusing us,” said BJP state vice president Devendra Bhasin.
Godiyal, however, refuted the allegations saying, “Kamalnath and I had visited the temple at the time of the 2013 tragedy during which dead bodies were lying in the temple premises. That time, our biggest duty was to rescue people and provide them with immediate help which we did.”