UTTARAKHAND, INDIA, November 2, 2021 (Indian Express): Former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had to face the ire of the priests in Kedarnath on Monday as he arrived at the Himalayan temple to offer prayers. Angry with Rawat as the Chardham Devasthanam Board was created through legislation during his chief ministership, the teerth purohits showed him black flags and shouted slogans against him, forcing him to return without having darshan at the temple. Realizing that they were in no mood to relent, Rawat folded his hands and left as the angry priests continued hooting at him.
The pilgrimage priests of the four Himalayan temples have been opposing the Chardham Devasthanam Board ever since it came into being during Rawat’s tenure. They feel the board is an infringement of their traditional rights over the temples and have been demanding its dissolution. Under the pressure of the priests, present chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had to constitute a committee headed by Manohar Kant Dhyani to hear all sides and find a solution. The Chardham Devasthanam Board, which is chaired by the chief minister, controls the management of 51 temples in the state, including Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. “We have come to the end of our patience on the Devasthanam Board now. We were advised to remain patient at our meeting with Dhami on September 11 and we were following him. But we cannot remain silent any more,” Kedarnath teerth purohit Santosh Trivedi later told reporters.
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/city-others/trivendra-singh-rawat-forced-to-return-from-kedarnath-without-darshan-7603030/