Uttarakhand authorities have opened proceedings after wedding arrangements linked to Social Welfare Minister Khajan Das’s son triggered allegations of rule violations inside Rajaji Tiger Reserve near Haridwar.The controversy centres on the Sureshwari Devi Temple premises, located within the Haridwar range of the reserve, where preparations were made for the marriage of the minister’s son, Anuj. Forest personnel removed tents, seating arrangements, generators, coolers and other material from the site after visuals and complaints drew attention to the scale of the event inside a protected wildlife zone.
Officials maintained that no permission had been granted for a large private function in the reserve’s core area. A case was registered against temple committee office-bearers under forest law provisions, and a departmental inquiry was initiated to determine how the arrangements reached the site and whether any official lapse enabled the preparations.
Khajan Das has denied wrongdoing, saying the marriage ceremony was tied to a family vow at the temple and was intended to be simple. He said there was no sound system, no disturbance to wildlife and that the programme was conducted with the knowledge of the department. The minister also argued that if the authorities had objected earlier, the family could have shifted the ceremony elsewhere.
The allegations have gained political and environmental significance because Rajaji Tiger Reserve is a critical habitat spread over about 1,075 sq km across the Shivalik landscape, including the Rajaji, Motichur and Chilla wildlife areas and adjoining buffer forests. It was notified as a tiger reserve in 2015 and supports tigers, elephants, leopards, deer species and a wide range of birdlife.
Temple access inside the reserve is regulated, with visitors normally allowed for worship under controlled conditions. Conservation norms restrict large gatherings, temporary structures, heavy vehicle movement, loud activity and non-forest use inside sensitive zones. Forest officials said limited religious activity is treated differently from elaborate private functions, especially where materials are brought into the forest and arrangements suggest a large public gathering.
The incident has sharpened scrutiny of VIP access to protected areas. Environmental campaigners argue that even short-duration events can disturb animal movement, generate waste, increase vehicle pressure and create a precedent for private use of wildlife habitats. Rajaji’s location between Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal makes it especially vulnerable to pressure from pilgrimage traffic, tourism, infrastructure proposals and expanding urban edges.
Forest authorities acted after complaints surfaced that the temple compound had been decorated and equipped for a wedding-style event. Officials removed the material and restricted the arrangements, while the wedding rituals were said to have been conducted in a reduced form. Reports from the ground indicated that the ceremony went ahead at the temple, though the larger reception-related arrangements were either stopped or moved out after the department’s intervention.
The role of the temple committee is now under examination. Investigators are expected to assess who authorised the use of the premises, who transported the material into the reserve, whether entry rules were bypassed and whether any forest personnel failed to prevent the preparations at an earlier stage. The probe may also examine whether the organisers sought written permission or relied on informal assurances.
The episode has also exposed confusion over Khajan Das’s portfolio. He is a cabinet minister handling Social Welfare, Minority Welfare, Student Welfare and Language. The Forest, Environment and Climate Change portfolio is held separately in the state government. The distinction matters because the controversy involves forest enforcement, but the minister at the centre of the row does not hold the forest department.