DEHRADUN: Opposition parties, including the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, have criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “violating tradition” by live telecast of him performing rituals in the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath temple.
Ganesh Godiyal, state Congress president said, “Taking pictures and telecasting live from the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath temple are prohibited as per traditions. The prime minister has insulted the tradition. It seems as if he thinks he is bigger than Baba Kedarnath but there can be no one above Baba.”
Modi visited Kedarnath shrine on November 5, a day after Diwali, and unveiled a statue of Adi Guru Shankaracharya besides inaugurating projects worth Rs 130 crore.
“The visit was another political tourism by him (PM). People of Uttarakhand had high expectations from him but all he gave them was a big disappointment. Uttarakhand suffered 80 deaths in devastating rains last month. The PM did not utter a single word on that,” added Godiyal.
Col (Retd) Ajay Kothiyal, chief minister candidate of the AAP for Uttarakhand raised five questions to the PM. “Listening to the PM seemed as if he is on election tour and not visiting Baba Kedarnath. He just repeated old promises and said nothing about recent deluge the state suffered. He should answer to the people,” said Kothiyal.
In July this year, the state had decided not to broadcast rituals from the Char Dham shrines. Officials had time and again reiterated that the government doesn’t want to interfere in the affairs of the four popular shrines.