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The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Badri-Kedar Temple Committee seeking legal advice over construction of replica of Kedarnath temple in Samajwadi Party's bastion Etawah
Opposing the construction of the replica of Kedarnath temple in Samajwadi Party's (SP) bastion, Etawah, the authorities of Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC) said on Saturday (July 19, 2025) that they are seeking legal advice in the matter. The priest community in Uttarakhand is also up in arms against the temple project, launched by former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav. The construction of over 70 feet tall Kedareshwar Mahadev Temple, which looks exactly like Kedarnath temple, started in 2021. Being built at the approximate cost of ₹50 crore in front of Safari Park in Etawah, the home turf of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and is likely to be completed in the next six months. Akhilesh Yadav had recently shared a video of the temple on social stirring controversy over the same. Condemning the move of building the replica of a temple of 'religious and mythological importance', BKTC President Hemant Dwivedi said that Kedarnath temple is one of the 11 Jyotirlinga and it should not be copied in any way. 'It is mentioned in the Vedas and Puranas that Kedarnath Dham is located in the Himalayan region, hence the replica temple of this important religious place should not be built elsewhere, it is against religious beliefs,' he said. Mr. Dwivedi added that appropriate steps will be taken after legal opinion in the matter. he added that BKTC has also brought in the notice of the state government. Suresh Semwal, president of Char Dham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchyat, the body of priests associated with char dham temples, said that construction of the replica of Kedarnath temple in Etawah is not only tampering with religious sentiments of people but also an attack on the identity and tradition of the Hindu temples. 'It is an insult to faith of millions of Hindus. If Uttarakhand government will not take appropriate measure to stop the construction of the temple in Etawah, the priest community will be forced to move to court,' he added. After a Statewide agitation by the priest community last year, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) lead Uttarakhand government had pushed for a halt on the proposed construction of Kedarnath temple in Delhi's Burari. The project in Burari was inaugurated by the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami who faced a lot of heat over the same. After both political pressure from the Opposition Congress and from the Char Dham temple priests, the State government had proposed in the Cabinet to make take legal action on the misuse of the name of Char Dham temples.
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
BJP government in Uttarakhand promoting VIP culture: Congress
The Congress on Wednesday (July 16, 2025) slammed the BJP government in Uttarakhand for promoting VIP culture in the State after Chairman of Badri-Kedar temple Committee (BKTC) took a chopper to Kedarnath despite suspension of services due to bad weather. As per reports, BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi, along with three other persons, took a chopper to Kedarnath on July 14. Heritage aviation had organised the chopper ride. After the matter was reported to officials, the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) ordered an investigation. Sources in the department confirmed that the aviation firm was informed about the guidelines of the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA), which has totally shut the shuttle services in the Kedar valley due to the weather conditions, while the chopper services of Char Dham are allowed but that too with the riders of weather being suitable for the flight. UCADA CEO Ashish Chauhan told The Hindu that a notice had been issued to the aviation firm. 'After around half a dozen chopper accidents took place in the State during the ongoing char dham yatra, the DGCA had issued instructions to Uttarakhand's authorised agency, UCADA, to impose a complete ban on air services during the rainy season. But BKTC president Hemant Dwivedi has not only flouted the rules by travelling to Kedarnath by helicopter, but once again openly supported the VIP culture,' said Congress spokesperson Garima Dasauni. She said when there was a complete ban on flights for the safety of common devotees, then how and why was this special exemption given to the BKTC president. 'This directly reflects the situation of 'one country, two rules' and is an example of disrespect for government rules,' she added.
India Gazette
15-06-2025
- General
- India Gazette
7 killed in Uttarakhand chopper crash: SDRF
Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], June 15 (ANI): All seven people, including the pilot on board a helicopter which crashed near the forested area of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district early on Sunday morning died on spot, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said. The Aryan Aviation Helicopter was flying to Guptkashi from the Kedarnath Dham when it crashed at 5:30 am today. The deceased have been identified as Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan (39), resident of Jaipur, Vikram Rawat (47) a Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee representative and resident of Rasi, Vinod Devi (66), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Trishti Singh (19), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41), resident of Gujarat, Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal and Kashi (2), resident of Maharashtra. Rescue teams were immediately dispatched under the direction of SDRF Commander Arpan Yadav. The incident spot was located in a very inaccessible and dense forest area, where a fast-paced and coordinated rescue operation was carried out by the joint teams of SDRF, NDRF, and local police. Rescue teams worked in inclement weather to retrieve the bodies of the deceased. Furthermore, the bodies will be brought down to the road by the SDRF team. Employees of BKTC gathered at all the offices of the temple committee and expressed condolences at the demise of BKTC employee, Vikram Rawat, the Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee spokesperson, Harish Gaur said. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a virtual high-level meeting with senior officials from the CM residence after the helicopter crash. State Chief Secretary, Disaster Management Secretary, UCADA CEO, Garhwal Commissioner and other senior officials were present in the high-level meeting. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will investigate the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated. The DGCA further said that, in light of the crash, the frequencies of helicopter operations to Char Dham would be reduced as a precautionary measure. Enhanced surveillance and operational reviews are also being carried out by DGCA. 'Today, Aryan Aviation Bell 407 helicopter VT-BKA operating flight on sector Shri Kedarnath ji- Aryan Helipad, Guptkanshi, was involved in an accident. There were five passengers, one infant and one crew member on board. The helicopter took off at 05:19 hours for Guptkanshi and crashed near Gaurikund,' DGCA said providing details of the crash. Chief Executive Officer of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Department (UCADA), Sonika, stated that helicopter shuttle services in the area had been closed given the ongoing relief operations and weather conditions in the valley. Sonika further stated that the District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) will reach the site soon. 'Since the rescue operation is underway and seeing the weather conditions in the valley, our shuttle services have been closed. Almost all the helicopters are involved in the rescue operation. DM and SSP will also reach the site soon,' Sonika told ANI. 'At around 5:30 AM, we got the information that a helicopter, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, could not be located. After some time, it was learnt that it had crashed near Gaurikund. Rescue operation is underway, SDRF teams have reached the spot. A total of 6 passengers and one pilot were on board the helicopter...' she further said. (ANI)
NDTV
15-06-2025
- General
- NDTV
Maharashtra Family, Ex-Army Pilot Among 7 Victims Of Kedarnath Chopper Crash
Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal, 41, was in Uttarakhand visiting the Kedarnath temple. He, along with his wife, Shraddha Jaiswal, and their 23-month-old daughter Kashi Rajkumar Jaiswal, was returning to Guptkashi from Kedarnath when their helicopter crashed. All seven people on board the Aryan Aviation Bell 407 helicopter, including the Jaiswal family, died in the crash near Gaurikund, Sunday morning. The helicopter took off from Guptkashi at 05:10 am and landed at Kedarnath Dham at 05:18 am. A minute later, at 5:19 am, the helicopter took off again for Guptkashi but crashed on the way, near Gaurikund. Deteriorating weather is said to be the cause of the incident. The pilot attempted to fly the chopper out of the valley, but it crashed. The victims have been identified as - Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan (39), resident of Jaipur; Vikram Rawat (47) a Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) employee; Vinod Devi (66), Trishti Singh (19), both residents of Uttar Pradesh and the Jaiswal family from Maharashtra's Yavatmal. Victims Of Uttarakhand Helicopter Crash Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal was a renowned coal businessman and transporter in Wani, Maharashtra. After the death of his first wife, he married Shraddha. Mr Jaiswal, known to be a religious person, left Wani on June 12 to visit the Kedarnath temple, as per their family friends, while their son, Vivaan, stayed back. Shraddha Jaiswal and Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal Rajveer Singh Chauhan, the pilot of the crashed helicopter, had served in the Indian Army for over 15 years and retired as a lieutenant colonel. During his service in the Army, he "orchestrated complex military operations, optimising performance through rigorous risk assessment and resource allocation", as per his LinkedIn profile. Mr Chauhan had undergone training in various helicopter types and their maintenance, including understanding aviation safety protocols, aircraft handling and logistical management. Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan A resident of Shastri Nagar in Jaipur, Captain Chauhan was working as a pilot with Aryan Aviation Private Limited since October 2024. He reportedly had vast experience in flying missions over different terrains. Mr Chauhan recently became a father of twins, the sources said. What Next The bodies, charred to death, are unidentifiable. A DNA test will be conducted before handing them over to the families, said Inspector General Rajiv Swaroop. Helicopter services will not run today and tomorrow, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, speaking to the news agency ANI. "These services will remain closed until the safety of the passengers is ensured. Life of every passenger is of utmost importance to us," he said. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will probe the crash. What Politicians Are Saying Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde shared grief with the Jaiswal family and assured all necessary assistance to the family. 'This incident is unfortunate and sorrowful, and instructions have been given to the concerned authorities to provide all necessary assistance to the family. I share in the grief of the Jayswal family, and the government stands firmly with them. I offer my humble tributes to the devotees who lost their lives in this accident,' he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). केदारनाथकडे जाणाऱ्या हेलिकॉप्टरला गौरीकुंड येथे अपघात होऊन यवतमाळ जिल्ह्यातील वणी येथील जयस्वाल कुटुंबातील तिघा भाविकांचा दुर्दैवी मृत्यू झाल्याची माहिती यवतमाळच्या आपत्ती निवारण कक्षाकडून मिळाली. ही दुर्घटना दुर्दैवी आणि दुःखद असून या कुटुंबास आवश्यक ते सर्व साह्य करण्याच्या… — Eknath Shinde - एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) June 15, 2025 Former Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot extended condolences to the families of those who died in the helicopter crash. In a post on X, Mr Gehlot wrote, 'The helicopter crash near Kedarnath, resulting in the death of seven individuals, including Jaipur resident pilot Shri Rajveer Singh Chauhan, is extremely tragic. In this difficult time, my deepest condolences are with the grieving families. May God grant them the strength to bear this shock and provide peace to the souls of the departed. Om Shanti.' केदारनाथ के पास हुए हेलिकॉप्टर क्रैश में जयपुर निवासी पायलट श्री राजवीर सिंह चौहान समेत 7 व्यक्तियों की मृत्यु अत्यंत दुखद है। इस कठिन समय में मेरी गहरी संवेदनाएं शोक संतप्त परिजनों के साथ हैं, ईश्वर उन्हें यह आघात सहने की शक्ति प्रदान करें एवं दिवंगतों की आत्मा को शांति प्रदान… — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) June 15, 2025 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has issued strict instructions regarding helicopter operations and called for a stringent standard operating procedure (SOP) for operating helicopters in Uttarakhand.
Borneo Post
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Borneo Post
Bumi Kenyalang Taekwondo Club bags 31 medals at state championships in Kuching
The gold medallists gesture in a photo with Lau (fifth left, back row). SIBU (May 28): Bumi Kenyalang Taekwondo Club (BKTC) collected 10 gold, seven silver and 14 bronze medals at the recent Sarawak Taekwondo Championships held in Kuching. The club sent 34 exponents and most of them returned with at least a medal. The gold medallists are Eric Lu Zeng Ming, Joseph Wong Shou Ho, Ting Foo Wei, Wong Chen Zin, Nichole Glenn Zainol, Grace Yong Yin Xing, Dyllen Chieng Neng Yuan, Crystal Sii Qing Wee, Amberlea Chew Wen Yi and Octavianne Boicley Landan Nicholas. Silver medallists are Darwisy Hakim Muhd Noor Zaidee, Su Li Cong, Angel Law Xin Yu, Ting Lu Yun, Agnes Ting Xin Yii and Nur Fathia Naazreen Mohd. The bronze medallists are Stephanie Ting Tou Ying, Fiona Ngu Qian Xin, Naomi Ngu Zhi Yun, Wong Sie Kong, Marcus Ting Zhong Sheng, John Yong Zhen Yu, Qaseh Azaleya Nazri, Muhd Danish Haikal Mohd Danial, Selina Wong Li Quin, Phoebe Wong u Xiang, Ting Jun Fu, Jarren Yong, Jeremy Law Ee Ann and Octavious Nicley Marin Nicholas. BKTC advisor Dato Sri Lau Keung Chia said the results proved yet again the performance consistency of club members. Lau, who is also Asian Taekwondo Union senior director, also reminded the athletes to use the achievement as a motivation to strive for greater heights. Bumi Kenyalang Taekwondo Club Sarawak Taekwondo Championships
