Dehradun: Refuting the claims on social media platforms that the gold plating of the sanctum sanctorum of the Kedarnath temple is brass, Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) termed it a "conspiracy".
According to the statement by BKTC, the donor had expressed his desire to gold-encrust the sanctum sanctorum of Shri Kedarnath Temple. Respecting the feelings of the donor, the permission was granted after examining the proposal.
BKTC has clarified that according to the provisions laid down in the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Act-1939, donations have been accepted from the donors and permission has been taken from the state government to make the sanctum sanctorum of Shri Kedarnath temple gold-plated.
The gold plating was done under the supervision of the experts of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
BKTC has also clarified that 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 was plated on them. The donor got these plates installed in the temple through his jewellers.
The entire work from buying gold to installing it on the walls was done by the donor. The temple committee had no direct role in this. That means all the work was done by the donor, the BKTC statement said.
According to the statement, official bills and vouchers of the gold and copper plates installed in the sanctum sanctorum by the donor through his goldsmith were given to BKTC after the completion of the work. This has been entered into the stock book by BKTC as per the rules.
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 from BKTC, the statement said.
The sanctum sanctorum of Shri Badrinath Temple was also studded with gold in 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-organized yatra operation under the inspiration of the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and under the guidance of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the statement further said. —ANI
