Ajendra Ajay, President of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, has firmly rejected allegations made by Swami Avimukteshwaranand, Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, regarding the theft of 228 kg of gold from the Kedarnath Temple. Ajay described the spiritual leader's claims as unfounded and driven by sensationalism.

Speaking to ANI, Ajay expressed his disappointment over the allegations. ?I respect Swami Avimukteshwaranand, but he keeps holding press conferences throughout the day. Stoking controversy, creating sensationalism, and being in the news is a habit of Swami Avimukteshwaranand,? he stated. Ajay suggested that the Swami?s comments were politically motivated and aligned with a Congress agenda, urging him to refrain from damaging the temple's reputation.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand had alleged that a 'gold scam' had occurred at the Kedarnath Temple and had not been investigated. He questioned, ?After doing a scam there, now Kedarnath will be built in Delhi? And then there will be another scam. 228 kg of gold is missing from Kedarnath? No inquiry has started. Who is responsible for this??

Ajay countered these accusations, calling them baseless and encouraging the Swami to provide any evidence through appropriate legal channels rather than inciting public controversy. ?I urge him as well as challenge him to bring to light facts and evidence. He should go to authorities, present the evidence, and demand an investigation. If he doesn't trust a capable authority, he should approach the Supreme Court, High Court, file a PIL, and demand an investigation if he actually has evidence,? Ajay asserted.

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The controversy intensified on July 15 when Swami Avimukteshwaranand opposed the construction of a symbolic Kedarnath temple in New Delhi, which was initiated by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on July 10. The Swami argued, ?There cannot be a symbolic Kedarnath. 12 Jyotirlingas have been mentioned in the Shiv Puran with name and location. There are political reasons behind this, political people are entering our religious places.?

Kedarnath is one of the four sacred Hindu shrines of the Char Dham, including Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. The foundation stone for the new Kedarnath temple in New Delhi has led to protests from several priests in Uttarakhand, underscoring the ongoing tensions surrounding this sacred site.