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| Lingam controversy takes new turn, Mahant Giri resigns | | |
Srinagar, Sep 15 The Shiv Lingam controversy today took a new turn as the custodian of Shiva’s mace, Chahari Mubarak, Mahant Deependra Giri resigned from the post and disassociated himself from Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.
Mahant Giri, who also heads Dashnami Akhara, was the first persons within the Shrine Board who had expressed doubts over the creation of artificial lingam. Though the Mahant claimed that he is disassociating himself from the Board, sources disclosed that Mahant took the step after receiving a notice served by ex-officio chairman SASB chairman and governor Jammu and Kashmir SK Sinha.
It was reliably learnt that through the show cause notice the Board had asked Mahant Giri to explain as why he failed to cooperate with the inquiry officer Justice (Retd) SK Gupta, who was appointed by the Board to look into the allegations of artificial Shiv Lingam at the Holy cave of Amarnath
In a faxed statement, here today, it was claimed that the recent controversies around Amarnath Shrine Board have forced Mahan Giri to disassociate himself from the membership of the Board. “Mahant Deependra Giri, has decided to disassociate himself from Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board”, the statement reads adding, “However, he will continue to do whatever may be necessary for the maintenance of sanctity of Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine”.
It was claimed that he had accepted offer to be a member of SASB when it was formed in the year 2001 so as to make his maximum contribution for the betterment of the annual pilgrimage of Swami Amarnath.
“Raising an artificial Shivlingam at Holy Cave this year has badly heart the religious sentiments of pilgrims”, the statement said. It even expressed surprise over the statement from the Board that the annual pilgrimage was proposed to be made a year long affair. “Mahantji has disassociated himself from any such decision because he consider it to be an act against the age old traditions and against the sanctity of the Yatra”, the statement said.
However, as per the reports the Shrine Board had already made its mind to remove Mahant Giri from the post blaming him to use the Lingam controversy for his own interests.
“He was served with a notice by the Governor SK Sinha”, sources said adding, “Giri was asked to appear before the inquiry commission on number of occasion but he failed to do so as such he was asked to explain his act”. |
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