NEW DELHI: New Delhi: At a time of soaring political temperature with key state polls, including Gujarat, lining up, Prime Minister Narendra Modi charged Congress of stalling his initiative to take up reconstruction works around Kedarnath temple in the wake of the devastating floods caused by cloudburst in 2013.
“I as the chief minister of Gujarat had offered to take responsibility of reconstructing areas surrounding Kedarnath temple in the aftermath of 2013 tragedy. Since people from different states had perished, I could not stop myself from rushing here after the disaster,” Modi said, after laying foundation for five developmental works around the highest Jyotirling in the country.
The Prime Minister claimed that the then UPA government pressurised the Uttarkhand chief minister to decline request of the Gujarat government for the reconstruction activities. “I was disappointed. But the Baba (Kedarnath) wanted his son (Modi) only to undertake the reconstruction activities,” Modi quipped, while offering Rudrabhishek prayers at the temple a day before it closes for the winter.
However, the Congress hit back at the Prime Minister, while accusing him for “lying from the precinct of the temple”. While slamming the Prime Minister, the Congress claimed that Modi uttered a slew of lies at the holy place and insulted the deity by keeping his back towards the main entrance door. “Modi ji spoke lies at the temple. He forgot that Congress government at the centre had sanctioned a package of Rs 8000 crore in December 2013 for renovating the temple and the area around it,” Congress communication department chief Randeep Surjewals said.
The Congress leader claimed that while it was the Congress led UPA government which had released Rs 2200 crore for the reconstruction activities in May 2014 to Uttarakhand government, the incumbent NDA government has not given the remaining amount.
The Congress leader listed several infrastructure projects like roads, pilgrim shelters, rest houses, houses and river banks approved by the Congress government around the temple which was ravaged by floods in 2013. “One should not speak lies at such holy places. Lord Kedarnath knows everything,” said Surjewala.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister, who had also visited the temple in May, laid foundation stones of five reconstruction projects at Kedarpuri, which include facilities for devotees, construction of retaining walls and ghats at Mandakini and Saraswati rivers, an approach road to the shrine and reconstructing Adi Guru Shankaracharya's tomb which was devastated in 2013. Modi stated that he would reach out to the corporate to re-develop the areas around Kedarnath temple on a grand scale.