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DEHRA DUN, January 30, 2002: In a serious blow to the BJP, which is trying desperately to retain power in Uttaranchal, the suspended head priest of the famous Badrinath temple has announced that he will campaign against the party. Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari today ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. The priest — “Rawal” Namboodripad — was suspended by the Badrinath Temple Committee recently. He had been having a running feud with the panel over the issue of improvement of facilities for pilgrims visiting the shrine. The committee constituted by the state government is believed to be controlled by the RSS and BJP. The seat of the head priest of Badrinath has remained with the Namboodiri Brahmins of Kerala since times immemorial. But the recent head priest had been in the eye of the storm since he took over two years ago. He wanted to improve the facilities for pilgrims, which was resisted by the orthodox members of the temple committee. Namboodiripad returned from Kerala just today, after hearing of his suspension. He charged that a BJP minister and some leaders had hatched a conspiracy to suspend him.

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