After Kedarnath temple priest alleges Rs 125 crore scam, management says charges levelled under ‘well-planned conspiracy’

Last year, silver plating on the walls inside the temple were replaced with gold donated by a Mumbai-based businessman who did not wish his name to be made public.

Responding to the allegations of the priest, the BKTC issued a statement: “The sanctum sanctorum of Shri Badrinath Temple was also studded with gold in the year 2005 by the same donor. But at present malicious allegations are being levelled under a well-planned conspiracy. It is well known that there has been a huge increase in the number of passengers due to the well-organised yatra operation under the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. There has been a record increase in the number of devotees, especially in Kedarnath Dham. This thing is not being liked by petty political elements. Such elements are spreading confusion to affect the Yatra and tarnish the image of Kedarnath Dham.”

Trivedi’s allegations, meanwhile, has kicked up a political row, with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav demanding a high-level inquiry into charges that are “serious and a matter of people’s faith”. “The allegation of applying brass layers instead of gold layers in Kedarnath temple is a very sensitive matter of criminal as well as playing with faith. Layers of lies should be removed by conducting a high-level inquiry into this conspiracy,” Yadav tweeted.

The temple committee clarified that permission was granted to the businessman according to the provisions laid down in the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Act, 1939. The donor had offered to donate gold, saying it was his “long-time wish” to see the walls of Kedarnath’s sanctum sanctorum covered in gold, said BKTC, adding that the state government had approved the decision. The gold plating was done under the supervision of the experts of the Archaeological Survey of India, it said.

“Permission was granted by BKTC to coat the walls of the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath temple with gold in accordance with the pious spirit of the donor. The work of making the sanctum sanctorum gold-plated has been done by the donor himself. Copper plates were prepared by the donor from the jewellers at his own level and then gold layers were offered on them. The donor got these plates installed in the temple through his jewellers,” read the BKTC statement.

The BKTC said the entire work from buying gold to installing it on the walls was done by the donor, and that the temple committee had no direct role in this. It added that official bills and vouchers of the gold and copper plates installed by the donor through his goldsmith were given to BKTC after the completion of the work, which is entered in the stock book by BKTC, as per rules.

It is also claimed that no condition was placed before BKTC by the donor or any firm for this work done as a donation, nor did the donor ask for a certificate under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act.