[India], Oct 20 (ANI): Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi blamed the former UPA government for stopping him as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from carrying out reconstruction of the Kedarnath shrine after the 2013 flash floods, the then Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Vijay Bahuguna averred that circumstances forced him to reject Prime Minister's proposition.

Speaking to ANI, former CM Vijay Bahuguna said, "Circumstances were such that we took that decision; won't comment more as I am not in Congress anymore."

Vijay Bahuguna who is now a member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in Congress when he was the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand in 2013.

Bahuguna agreed to the fact that Prime Minister Modi extended help and offered a cheque of Rs five Crore. "It is true, Modi ji came to Dehradun, at my residence, gave cheque of Rs 5 Crore for relief on behalf of Gujarat Govt," he said.

"He had kept a proposal to reconstruct shrine devastated in Kedarnath after floods. I thanked him on his proposal and said we will consider it. Later we took a decision to do it ourselves. Had informed him," Bahuguna added.

Earlier in the day, former chief minister Harish Rawat also castigated Prime Minister Modi and said, "The Centre does not interfere in such works. The matter is between Prime Minister Modi and Vijay Bahuguna. It is within BJP." (ANI)