Ajendra Ajay, president of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, refuted allegations by Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath. The Swami has created a buzz on the internet claiming that 228 kilograms of gold were missing from the Kedarnath Temple.A Shankracharya is a devil now because he asked about alleged corruption in Kedarnath!!Party is over religion and traditions now! https://t.co/VSNFNx7Pir— Sheriff Rango 🏳️‍🌈 (@aakashmehrotra) July 16, 2024What did the President sayAccording to media reports, Ajay downplayed the spiritual leaders comments, calling them unfortunate and suggesting they served a political agenda. Swami Avimukteshwaranand has a history of making controversial statements to gain media attention. He urged the Swami to stop tarnishing the dignity of the Kedarnath Temple.#WATCH | Uttarakhand: Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee President Ajendra Ajay says, I respect Swami Avimukteshwaranand but he keeps holding press conferences throughout the day...Stoking controversy, create sensationalism and being in the news is a habit of Swami… https://t.co/Efo9oz6I7g pic.twitter.com/bQNHM5BtDS— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2024Claims of ShankaracharyaSwami Avimukteshwaranand linked his gold theft claim to his opposition to a new temple being built in Delhi, calling it a scam tactic. He demanded an investigation into the alleged missing gold but offered no evidence to support his claim while swinging a bat of words in the air.What is the evidenceAjay challenged Swami to present any evidence he possesses through legal channels. The president has asked Swami to approach the high court or Supreme Court to file a PIL (public interest litigation) if he has valid proof supporting the occurrence of the incident. Plains words have never taken anyone anywhere and no one considers them important, he said.The root of the controversyThis controversy follows Swami Avimukteshwaranands earlier disapproval of the symbolic Kedarnath temple planned for Delhi. He argued that replicating the sacred Jyotirlinga goes against religious scriptures and is politically motivated.The foundation-laying ceremony for the New Delhi temple on July 10 sparked protests from priests in Uttarakhand. The Kedarnath temple is one of the four revered Char Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus, alongside Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.
