Badrinath temple committee launches probe into donation manipulation claims

The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee has ordered a formal enquiry into allegations of irregularities in offerings at Shri Badrinath Dham. Notices have been issued to employees named in the claims, with the committee promising strict action if wrongdoing is established

Chamoli: Amid the ongoing controversy over the embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, similar allegations regarding offerings made at Shri Badrinath Dham have surfaced, prompting the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) to order a formal enquiry into the matter.

BKTC President Hemant Dwivedi said the temple committee has taken the allegations circulating on social media seriously and has constituted an enquiry committee to examine the claims in a fair and transparent manner.

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He added that notices have also been issued to the employees named in the allegations, seeking their explanations.

Dwivedi also rejected claims circulating on social media that identified one of the employees as his “personal secretary”.

Clarifying the matter, he said the individual is not associated with him in that capacity but is a regular government employee of the BKTC who has served under previous chairpersons as well.

In his statement, Hemant Dwivedi said, “Allegations of manipulation regarding the offerings at the Shri Badrinath Temple are being made. The temple committee has taken this matter very seriously. A committee has been constituted to conduct a fair and fact-based enquiry into the entire episode. Notices have been issued to the employees facing these allegations, asking them to provide an explanation. If any employee is found guilty after the investigation concludes, the strictest possible action will be taken against them.”

Addressing the social media claims, he further stated, “I wish to bring to everyone’s notice that the person being described as my personal secretary is not one; I do not have a personal secretary. Such claims are completely misleading. The employee in question is a regular staff member of the committee who has worked with the last three chairpersons during their tenures.”

Appealing to devotees and the general public, Dwivedi said that Shri Badrinath Dham and Shri Kedarnath Dham are revered pilgrimage centres for millions of people across the country. He urged people not to circulate unverified rumours or misleading information on social media and instead wait for the findings of the official enquiry.

He added that only after the investigation is completed will it become clear whether the allegations circulating regarding the temple offerings have any factual basis or are merely rumours.

The committee, he said, is committed to ensuring that the enquiry is impartial and that appropriate action is taken based on its findings.