Cong turns focus on Char Dham Act as priests step up stir
DEHRADUN: After the Centre’s move to repeal three farm laws, on which the Congress was attacking the BJP ahead of Uttarakhand assembly elections, the opposition party has turned its focus on the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Act against which priests have been agitating demanding its withdrawal.
The agitating priests have intensified their protest by announcing to field candidates in next year’s assembly polls.
Reiterating the promise of repealing the Act on coming to power, Congress national general secretary and former chief minister Harish Rawat said, “Congress has been protesting against the Act from the day the government made the announcement.”
“It is completely against the centuries-old traditions associated with Char Dham and tramples upon the rights of the priests. The party fully supports the priests in their fight against the Devasthanam Board through which the government wants to control the temples for their monetary interests,” said Rawat.
Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal questioned the state government on the relevance of the Act.
“The government does not listen to its own people. It is hell bent on snatching away the rights of the priests of Char Dhams, which is against our culture and faith. This is happening to the priests in Uttarakhand which is known as Devbhoomi or land of gods,” said Godiyal.
Citing PM Narendra Modi’s announcement to repeal the three farm laws, Godiyal said, “BJP’s arrogant government at the Centre had to bow down before the resilience of the farmers fighting for their rights. They will also have to bow before the priests who are fighting for their rights and to save our culture. The Congress will step up the pressure on the government to force it to repeal the Act.”
He said the party will hold statewide protests against the Act. “Our leaders have been visiting different temples across the state to pray to the almighty that the government gain some wisdom and abolish this Act.
If it is done before the elections, then it is good, or else we will abolish it as soon as we come to power,” said Godiyal.
The Act, passed by the present BJP government under then chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat two years ago, had led to large-scale protests by the priests associated with Char Dham shrines -- Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and
Yamunotri. Under the Act, the Char Dham Devasthanam Board was formed to manage the affairs of the four shrines and 47 other temples. The agitating priests accuse the BJPled state government of taking away their traditional rights associated with the shrines.
Following the protests, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami formed a high-power committee on July 21 this year to review the Act.
He said the committee will talk to priests and other stakeholders and based on its report the government will take a decision.
The priests have stepped up their protests as the government is yet to take a decision.
“The BJP government is just giving false assurances that the issue will be resolved soon, but we don’t believe them anymore. Hence, we have decided to field our candidates in the upcoming polls,” said Krishna Kant Kothiyal, president of Char Dham Teerth Purohit Haq Haqooqdhari Mahapanchayat.
“We won’t stop our protests unless the Act is abolished by the government because it is completely against the traditions.
The government wants to take control of the Char Dham shrines for its vested interests.”
The ruling BJP said the government will find an amicable solution to the issue.
“The chief minister has already formed a high-power committee on the issue. Once the report is submitted by it, an amicable solution will be worked out by the government which has no intention to snatch the rights of the priests but wants to keep them intact,” said Kuldeep Kumar, BJP state general secretary.
It (Act) is against the centuries-old traditions associated with Char Dham and tramples upon the rights of the priests. The party supports priests in their fight HARISH RAWAT, Congress leader