Dehradun Oct 28 PTI Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Kedarnath on November 5 a priest of the Himalayan temple has alleged misuse of government funds allocated for the Kedarpuri reconstruction projects by the BJP-led Uttarakhand dispensationBrij Ballabh Bagwadi who has been serving as a teerth purohit pilgrimage priest at the temple for the last 31 years was seen levelling the allegations in a video in the presence of former Uttarakhand chief minister and Congress general secretary Harish Rawat The video was shot in Kedarnath when Rawat visited the temple on TuesdayWhen contacted on Thursday Bagwadi alleged that the current dispensation has wasted billions of rupees by demolishing works done by the previous government led by Rawat adding that the money wasted so far would have been enough to build another KedarnathTargeting the state government over the allegations the Uttarakhand Congress said that the current dispensation is only trying to put its stamp on the work done by the previous governmentThe BJP however said that the whole world knows that everything done in Kedarnath is Prime Minister Narendra Modis contributionBagwadi claimed he has nothing to do with the Congress or the BJP and is only voicing his hurt feelings to unburden his heartA rest house built at a cost of crores of rupees by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering at the helipad in Kedarnath was demolished just to expand the helipad a riverside ghat built at an expense of Rs 20-21 crore was demolished just because its steps were not wide enough and the Aastha Path fitted with solar lights was also destroyed and now something else is being constructed in its place he claimedThe government has no plans All development works are unfinished The Centre is sending funds but the policymakers in the state have no clue as to what needs to be done For them Kedarnath has become a milch cow Bagwadi saidThe teerth purohits have raised these issues with the administration and the government several times but locals are not being given any importance he allegedDuring his visit PM Modi will unveil a statue of Adi Guru Shankaracharya and inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of reconstruction projects worth more than Rs 400 croreThis will be Modis second visit to the state within a month The prime minister has been closely monitoring the Kedarpuri reconstruction projectsUttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal said he has been saying all along that the BJP government has done nothing new in KedarnathIt has just changed a stone here and a tile there to put its stamp on the work done by the previous government and pass it off as its work he saidHowever BJPs state media incharge Manveer Chauhan said Everyone knows Kedarpuri reconstruction is Prime Minister Narendra Modis dream project The whole world knows that everything done in Kedarnath is the Prime Ministers contribution The Congress did nothing The portals of Kedarnath are scheduled to be closed for winter on November 6 on the occasion of Bhai Dooj PTI ALM DIV DIV

Chandigarh Aug 24 PTI The power tussle between the camps of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and state Congress chief Navjot Sidhu intensified on Tuesday with four cabinet ministers and several party legislators openly pitching for Singhs removal saying he has failed to fulfil some key poll promisesSidhu too was targeted by a group of Punjab ministers and MLAs loyal to CM Amarinder Singh who demanded strong action against his two advisors over their patently anti-national and pro-Pakistan comments warning it could cause massive damage to the Congress in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly polls due in less than six monthsThe two advisors of Sidhu have sparked a massive row with their comments Malvinder Singh Mali had claimed that Kashmir is a country of Kashmiri people while another advisor Pyare Lal Garg had taken a swipe at the CM for criticising Pakistan saying it is not in Punjabs interestEarlier Amarinder Singh had asked Sidhu to rein in his advisors and had described their remarks as atrocious and ill-conceived while Congress MP Manish Tewari on Monday had asked if such people should be kept in the partyOn Tuesday the Punjab chief minister faced an open revolt from the rival camp in the partyFour ministers -- Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Charanjit Singh Channi -- and around two dozen legislators met here at the residence of Bajwa a known detractor of Amarinder Singh on TuesdayWhen asked if an attempt was being made to oust the chief minister Bajwa told reporters its not an attempt but the demand of the peopleTo a question on the new face he said that decision will be taken by the party high commandBajwa said they would seek time to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and apprise her of the political situation in the state He said drastic steps need to be taken and if there is a need to change the chief minister then it should be doneAddressing the media after the meeting Channi said several party legislators and ministers on Tuesday assembled here and expressed concern over the unfulfilled promises including delay in justice in case of desecration of a religious text in 2015 arrest of the big fish involved in drug rackets and scrapping power purchase agreementsHe said Bajwa Sarkaria Randhawa and Punjab Congress general secretary Pargat Singh will meet the party high commandThese five are known detractors of Amarinder SinghLater Bajwa Channi Randhawa and a few legislators met Sidhu at the Punjab Congress Bhawan following which Sidhu tweeted Got a call from Tripat Bajwa ji asking for an emergency meetingMet him along with other colleagues at the PPCC office Will apprise the high command of the situation The Congress recent efforts to quell dissent in the state unit with Sidhus appointment have come a cropper and the developments are expected to deepen the crisis in the state unitToday the situation is such that our issues are not being resolved with the chief minister Amarinder Singh and that is why we are going to meet the party high command said ChanniHe claimed perception has gained ground in Punjab that Amarinder Singh and the Shiromani Akali Dal have colluded with each other and it has damaged the reputation of the CongressMeanwhile the chief ministers loyalists targeted SidhuThe remarks by Sidhus newly-appointed advisors were clearly against Indias interests and detrimental to national security said ministers Brahm Mohindra Vijay Inder Singla Bharat Bhushan Ashu Balbir Singh Sidhu and Sadhu Singh Dharamsot along with MLA Raj Kumar Verka in a joint statement hereThe group of ministers and MLAs demanded stringent legal action against the advisors and urged the Congress national leadership to direct Sidhu to immediately rein in his aides in the interest of the party as well as the country The Congress leaders also raised questions on Sidhus failure to put his foot down on such anti-national and pro-Pakistan diatribe by his close aides despite the uproar it triggered across party lines They said Sidhus omission gave ammunition to opposition parties which were quick to recall the PPCC presidents own bonhomie with the Pakistani prime minister and Army chief The Punjab Congress leaders said Malis statement on Kashmir was a dangerous and unacceptable deviation from Indias stated position on the issue Even Gargs statement countering Amarinder Singhs criticism of Pakistan reflected strong pro-Pak leanings they added Such comments if not punished had the potential of becoming a deadly precursor to more anti-national statements promoted by forces inimical to the interests of India they claimed The Punjab Congress leaders also condemned Mali for posting a controversial and highly objectionable sketch of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi terming it another instance of his anti-party stance PTI CHS VSD KJ KJ KJ KJ