The BJP has alleged that during the period of political uncertainty faced by the Congress in Uttarakhand, the wife of the Badrinath MlA was appointed as vice chairperson of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee evidently to appease the MlA. Submitting a memorandum to the State Governor Krishan Kant Paul, BJP State office bearers have sought cancellation of the allegedly unconstitutional appointment and an inquiry into the same.
Talking to the media, State BJP chief spokesperson Munna singh Chouhan circulrated a copy of appointment letter by which Rajni was appointed by the State Government on March 21.
The allegedly unconstitutional appointment has been brought up in a memorandum addressed to the Governor by BJP State office bearers including general secretary Khajan Das, vice president Kedar Joshi, secretary Mahendra Bhatt and former BKTC vice chairperson Madhu Bhatt. The memorandum states as learned from reliable sources that after the political disturbance on March 18, the then Chief Minister Harish Rawat had appointed Badrinath MlA Rajendra Bhandari’s wife Rajni Bhandari to the post of BKTC vice chairperson. The BJP office bearers further alleged in the memorandum that Rawat had made the said appointment in order to appease the Badrinath MlA into supporting him. The appointment is reported to have been made through BKTC culture, endowment, pilgrimage, management and religious fair section letter number 154/VI/2015-166 (Dharmasva) dated March 21, 2016.
Talking to The Pioneer, BJP State secretary Mahendra Bhatt said, “We have requested the governor to cancel this appointment which is clearly unconstitutional. An inquiry should also be made into the appointment,” he said.
It should be noted here that the post of BKTC vice chairperson had been unoccupied for the past four months. The BJP members here allege that the MlA’s wife was appointed to this post after March 18 at a time when the political uncertainty was being cited by the opposition averring that the State government under Harish Rawat as chief minister had lost its majority in the Vidhan Sabha.
