A controversy has surfaced in Uttarakhand after wedding arrangements linked to Bharatiya Janata Party leader and state cabinet minister Khajan Dass were allegedly organised within the core area of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, despite the absence of official clearance from forest authorities.

The event, held at the Sureshwari Devi Temple, has triggered scrutiny over possible violations of wildlife protection regulations, The Times of India reported.

According to officials, preparations for the ceremony were carried out inside the ecologically sensitive zone, which is home to elephants, tigers, leopards and several protected bird species. Materials such as a pandal, stage, coolers and generators were reportedly transported into the reserve area on Saturday (April 25), raising alarm within the Forest Department.

The Forest Department subsequently registered a case against the temple committee under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, citing unauthorised activity inside the protected core zone. Officials stated that the arrangements were removed after authorities intervened.

“No permission had been granted for such an event. After receiving information about it, the tents and other arrangements were removed on Sunday,” Ajay Lingwal, the warden of Haridwar forest range under RTR, told the newspapers.
Despite the lack of formal permission, wedding rituals were allowed to proceed at the temple premises.

Responding to the controversy, Ashish Marwari, general secretary of Ma Sureshwari Devi temple committee, said, “Wedding rituals of minister Khajan Dass’s son were intended to be conducted in a simple way. Tents and other arrangements were made considering the heat. The forest department officials were also informed about this.”

Marwari claimed that there had been no mistake on part of the temple committee and they would soon respond to the case.

Minister Dass, who currently holds the social welfare portfolio in the state government, defended the decision, saying he had long been associated with the temple and credited the deity for his recovery from illness. He added that this personal connection motivated him to organise his son’s wedding there and maintained that he was unaware that formal permission was necessary.

“A request was made to the temple committee and there were also discussions with forest officials, who agreed to the programme. We only intended to perform simple rituals and formalise the wedding,” said Dass.

Senior Indian Forest Service officers later confirmed that no written permission had been sought for the event, bringing renewed focus on adherence to environmental regulations and administrative accountability