Uttarakhand: Chardham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat, VHP welcome decision on withdrawal of Devasthanam law

Chardham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat and Vishva Hindu Parishad have welcomed the decision of the Uttarakhand government withdrawing Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board Act, terming it to be "historical".

"Today is a historic day for the pilgrim priests and all those who have protesting against the law. I thank Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for taking this decision," Brijesh Sati, Spokesperson, Chardham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat.

"This probably happened for the first time in the history of India that an elected government has withdrawn the Act passed by the same Assembly," he added.

The working international president of Vishva Hindu Parishad, Alok Kumar, welcoming the decision said, "We will continue to spearhead the movement to ensure that there will be no government control over temples. The resources of the temples should be under Hindu society for Hindu's welfare only."

Earlier, on Tuesday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced the withdrawal of the said law after months of protests by Char Dham Teerth-Purohit Hak Hakookdhari Mahapanchayat Samiti and other organisations.

Last December, the Uttarakhand Assembly had passed the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board Bill. The law aimed at bringing the Char Dham of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri and 49 other temples under the purview of a proposed shrine board.

Many organisations including Char Dham Teerth-Purohit Hak Hakookdhari Mahapanchayat Samiti were opposing the Act. According to the temple priests, their rights are being played due to the formation of this board.

Mahapanchayat in its meeting on November 20 had decided to organise a sit-in protest against the Devasthanam Act at worship places of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham.Kedarnath Teerth Purohit Samaj had earlier claimed that the then Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat had assured to reconsider the board.

The agitation against the board has been going for 21 months.

( With inputs from ANI )