Dehradun, July 6 -- State tourism and culture minister Satpal Maharaj on Sunday said if the Congress has evidence to prove its allegations of donation theft at Badrinath Dham, it should submit that evidence to the government rather than politicise the issue, adding that the government is probing the matter and will act if anyone is found guilty. "If anybody, including the Opposition, has any evidence to establish that there was really a theft of donation at Badrinath, they should submit before the government. We have always been ready for a probe. They (Opposition) should refrain from playing politics in the matter and creating noise," he said. "We even conducted a probe into the Kedarnath matter. When the Opposition levelled fake allegations that there was theft of gold at Kedarnath, the probe found nothing. The donor had no issue whatsoever, he said he donated 23 kgs of gold, but the Opposition claimed 200 kgs of gold was stolen," he said. Bhairav Sena Sangathan, a Hindu right-wing organisation, submitted a memorandum to the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) CEO on Friday, demanding immediate administrative action and an FIR over alleged donation theft at Badrinath Dham, and warning of public protest if strict action was not taken. BKTC chief executive officer Sohan Singh Rangar said show-cause notices have been issued to four employees involved in counting the donation. "We even checked the CCTV footage, but the footage does not provide the necessary clarity," he said. The CEO said an inquiry committee began its probe on Saturday and will submit findings within a week. "On the basis of findings, action will be taken if anybody is found guilty," he said. That same evening, BKTC ordered a probe into the allegations and constituted a committee for the purpose. BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi also clarified that the employee described on social media as his "personal secretary" is not attached to him in that capacity, but is a regular BKTC employee. The Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (UKPCC) on Saturday demanded the constitution of a joint assembly committee, headed by the leader of the opposition (LoP), to probe alleged misappropriation of offerings and donations at Badrinath Dham. The party said if the government rejects the demand, the matter should be investigated under judicial supervision. State Congress president Ganesh Godiyal said the allegations have hurt devotees' religious sentiments. "The allegations that have surfaced regarding Badrinath Dham are extremely serious. We demand that a joint committee of the legislative assembly be constituted to investigate the matter. It should be headed by the Leader of Opposition or another member of the Opposition. I am also willing to be part of the committee, having earlier served as chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC)," Godiyal said. Suryakant Dhasmana, state Congress vice-president, alleged, "The BJP government is trying to brush the matter under the carpet as they did in the Kedarnath gold theft episode." Congress had earlier alleged a Rs.125 crore fraud in the gold plating of the sanctum sanctorum at Kedarnath temple, prompting the state government to order a probe. Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, who led the investigation, submitted his report to the state government in July 2024, finding no material to support claims that 228 kg of gold had been donated; the donor had said only 23 kg of gold was used. "It is unfortunate and funny that the minister is seeking evidence from the Opposition. Are we a probe agency?" a Congress spokesperson said. "We want the matter to be investigated from a House panel or court-monitored panel."...