Uttarakhand priests committee to launch state-wide protest against Char Dham Devasthanam Board

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 11 (ANI): The Devbhoomi Tirtha Purohit Haqhakudhari Mahapanchayat Samiti has announced a state-wide agitation from August 17 to protest the alleged delay in scrapping the Char Dham Devasthanam Board (CDDB).
Chardham Teerthpurohit Haq Hakukdhari Mahapanchayat Samiti is going to start a state-wide agitation against the state government from August 17 demanding dissolution of the Chardham Devasthanam board, said the Mahapanchayat committee on Wednesday.
The Mahapanchayat committee on Wednesday said that its members will march to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's residence on August 16 and threatened to intensify the agitation if the demands are not fulfilled.
With Uttarakhand heading for assembly elections this year, Devasthanam Board might become a roadblock for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"The agitation against the board has been going for 21 months. Despite this, neither did the government listen to us nor did they called us for discussion," said KK Kotiyal, Mahapanchayat President.
"Along with the four Dhams, there will be agitation across the whole state," he added.
In September last year, Char Dham priests had submitted a letter to the Uttarakhand government protesting against the formation of the Devasthanam Board without consulting 61 other temples.
"We protest the state government's decision to form the Devasthanam Board without taking shrine priests of 61 other temples into confidence," said the letter submitted to State Chief Secretary Om Prakash. (ANI)