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| Srinagar temple controversy gets murkier | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Dec 22
In Srinagar, Kashmiri pandits are seeking government intervention to deal with what they claim to be a multi-crore temple land scam.
The police have been trying to restrain Kashmiri pandits from entering the Ramji Temple in Srinagar, allegedly on the instructions of its management.
The pandits say that since the temple trusts have not had elections over the last 17 years, caretakers and outsiders have been controlling temple assets, worth Rs 10,000 crore, and are now selling or leasing them out.
"Some of the trustees and other samitis which are from our community and some non-locals state subject holders try to grab these properties, and it is still going on. The buyers are naturally from the majority community," alleges Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti President Sanjay Tickoo.
Community leaders are now seeking the intervention of the country's highest offices. Tickoo claims the property transfer is being done with the help of local officials. The samiti even has letters to the Prime Minister displaying the contentious lease details.
Tickoo claims, "The care takers furnish these documents to the revenue officials. These documents claim that they are the mahants and the sole trustees or caretakers of the property. The revenue officials—right from the Divisional Commissioner to the Tehsiladar—do not verify the documents that these caretakers and outsiders produce before them." The officials, however, deny any wrongdoing.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Mehboob Iqbal, says, "They are authorised to sell the property if the constitution allows them to sell their land or lease it out. It used to happen earlier too. However, if there are any specific cases of misdeed, we will look into that.''
Local Kashmiri pandits say the temple property and land mafia are being aided and abetted by the revenue officials and priests from the outside the state. All they want now is central agency's involvement in investigating the scam. |
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