All eyes on CM for Char Dham board decision
PRIESTS ACCUSED THE STATE GOVT OF SNATCHING THEIR RIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOUR SHRINES
DEHRADUN: Amid the ongoing protest by priests associated with the Char Dham shrines against the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Act, all eyes are now set on chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami who is expected to take a final decision on November 30 on the issue.
Dhami had formed as highpowered committee in July while directing it to submit a report on the same to the government. He had initially set a deadline of October 30 but later extended it to November 30 while assuring the agitating priests on a final decision to resolve the issue well within the new deadline.
With only a couple of days left for the deadline to end, Dhami on Saturday said the state government has received the report from the high-powered committee and will soon take a decision on it. “The report has been submitted by the committee to the government following which a subcommittee of the cabinet will study the report and then give suggestions to the cabinet before taking a final decision. Having said that, a decision will be taken well within the deadline on November 30,” said Dhami.
On the protest by the priests alleging “trampling of their rights by the government with the Act”, he said, “No rights of the priests will be snatched by the government. All their rights will be kept intact with due respect.”
The Act, which was passed by the present BJP government under former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat two years ago, had led to a large scale protests by the priests of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines.
The agitating priests have been accusing the state government of snatching away their traditional rights associated with the shrines which the government has denied on several occasions.
The priests, meanwhile, intensified their protest by announcing to field candidates in the upcoming state assembly polls in 2022.
On Saturday, they held a Janakrosh rally in Dehradun under the umbrella of their body named - Char Dham Teerth Purohit Haq Haqooqdhari Mahapanchayat while observing
November 27 as a black day because it was the same date last year when the BJP government had passed the Act.
Before that, the priests had gheraoed the official residences of two cabinet ministers in Dehradun raising the demand of Act’s abolishment.
Krishna Kant Kothiyal, president of the priest body said, “The BJP government is just giving false assurances that the issue will be resolved soon but we don’t believe them anymore. Hence, now we have decided to field our candidates in the upcoming polls.”
Kothiyal added, “We are somewhat quiet till November 30 which is the deadline set by the government itself. The protests till now are nothing. If the government don’t abolish it on November 30, then our protests will become more sharp against it.”
Terming the Act as “completely against the traditions”, he alleged that, “The government wants to take control of the Char Dham shrines for its vested interests.”
The Congress which had earlier already announced to repeal the Act, if it’s voted to power in 2022, has also turned up the heat against the government on the issue demanding its repeal while threatening of state-wide protests on the same. They have also “extended their full support to the agitating priests” alleging the government of “trampling the centuries old traditions.”
Party national general secretary and former CM Harish Rawat while reiterating the promise of repealing the Act on coming to power said, “Congress has been protesting against it from the day the government made the announcement.”
“It is completely against the centuries old traditions associated with the Char Dhams and trample the rights of its priests which is very unfortunate. The party fully support the priests in their fight against the Devasthanam Board through which the government wants to control the temples for their monetary interests which is shameful,” said Rawat.