SC Moved Against Uttarakhand High Court Verdict On State Control Of Char Dham Shrines

Appeals have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Uttarakhand High Court's verdict that upheld the validity of the states' temple management act.

The Uttarakhand HC in its 21 July verdict had upheld the validity and constitutionality of the Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Act, 2019 and dismissed the petition filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy against the act.

The state government through the act took over the control of the Char Dham shrines - Shri Kedarnath, Shri Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri - and 51 other temples in the state.

According to the report, the petition contends that the High Court erred in upholding the validity and constitutionality of the impugned Act "since its provisions are arbitrary and violative of the Fundamental Rights of all devotees of the Chhota Char Dham shrines.”

With the 2019 Act, the management of the various Hindu temples in Uttarakhand has been entrusted to a Board whose Chairman and members are reportedly by and large nominated by the state government.