Probe report in Kashi Vishwanath temple aarti row submitted to Varanasi DM

VARANASI: As the probe team looking into the May 7 Kashi Vishwanath temple’s Shaptarshi Aarti row has submitted its report to the district authorities, the temple administration has allowed eight priests of different states to enter the temple for performing rituals as per tradition.
However, the entry of temple’s former mahant and his family members to perform the rituals of Shaptarshi Aarti has not been allowed as they did not reply to the notices issued to them, KVT chief executive officer Vishal Singh said on Saturday.
Talking to TOI on Saturday, district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said, “The ADM City and SP Security, who had been assigned the task to probe into the May 7 incident of performing of Shaptarshi Aarti on road near at gate-4 of temple, have submitted their report to me on Friday evening. This report has been forwarded to the principal secretary (religious affairs), divisional commissioner, temple administration and also temple truck to initiate further action with the finding of investigation and recommendations.”
The DM said that during the investigation it was found that some photographs, which were taken when the house of former mahant was getting vacated in March, were issued by terming as current photographs to prove that portions of a temple inside KV corridor are had been damaged.
“The investigators found that these photographs were released with ill intention to instigate religious sentiment of people at a time of lockdown enforce in view of Covid-19 epidemic,” he said adding, as it seems to be conspiracy, recommendation had been made by investigators to initiate action against a member of former mahant family who led the entire episode.
“The livelihood of former mahant family depends on temple, but instead of performing their responsibility at a time of lockdown this act was like disloyalty for temple and breach of trust,” said the DM on the basis of the recommendation for appropriate action made against the member of former mahant family responsible for it made in the investigation report.
He said that course of action in this regard would be decided by the religious affairs department, divisional commissioner, temple administration and trust. He said that as a case had already been lodged against the persons performed rituals on road by violating lockdown had already been taken by administration further action against them was left on temple administration.
Regarding action against the priests who took part in the rituals performed on road on May 7, the temple’s CEO said that eight priests from different states had given their reply to temple administration against the notices issued to them for their act.
He said that satisfied with their reply, the temple administration had allowed them to perform rituals in temple like past. But, he said, former mahant and his family did not give any reply against notices given to them hence no decision to allow their entry in temple to perform rituals of Shaptarshi Aarti had been taken.
On May 7 evening an awkward situation was created in and around the KVT when two parallel Shaptarshi aartis of Lord Vishwanath performed in evening on daily basis, took place. While a group of priests belonging to family and group of former mahant of temple performed the aarti on road near gate-4 another aarti was performed inside temple’s sanctum sanctorum by the priests arranged by the temple administration.