Kedarnath: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is committed to end the VIP culture prevalent across the country, has shown that he practices what he preaches others.
Setting an example that despite being the Prime Minister, he too does not ask for a VIP treatment, Modi on Wednesday stopped a man from helping him remove his shoes at the Kedarnath Temple, where he has gone to perform ‘rudraabhishek’.
PM Modi had earlier reached the revered Kedarnath Temple to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva under heavy police protection.
Just as he was entering the temple, he sat down to take off his shoes, it was when a man came forward to help him remove his shoes. However, the PM politely refused to take his help.
This comes at a time when the Prime Minister has taken a series of steps aimed at ending the VIP mindset of our politicians.
He had recently banned the use of red and blue beacons for dignitaries and government officials across the country.
On Sunday, he also made critical comments on the VIP culture during his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’.
PM Modi is the first Prime Minister to perform ‘rudraabhishek’ in the shrine in last 28 years.
Former Prime Minister VP Singh was the last PM to have performed the religious rites.
During his visit to the famous temple, the PM was gifted a miniature replica of the temple.
After offering prayers at the temple, Modi came out and interacted with the crowd of about 2,500 devotees present at the opening of the gates of one of the holiest Hindu shrines.
The Kedarnath shrine in this hill state is one of the major components of the annual Chaar Dhaam pilgrimage.
The Kedarnath Valley was destroyed in a flash flood in 2013 but the temple premises was thankfully saved of any major devastation.
Thousands had died in the natural calamity and hundreds went missing. Restoration work is underway at the temple, its route and the surroundings.
When PM Modi landed at the Jolly Grant airport in a special IAF plane, he was received by Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, state ministers and other BJP leaders.
