The Pashupati Area Development Trust has clarified that Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal did not enter the main temple of Pashupatinath wearing leather shoes.
According to Acting Member Secretary Subash Chandra Joshi, Home Minister Aryal visited the Pashupati area with his family for a private trip on Wednesday, Kartik 5, and offered prayers at major temples in the area. He stated that the minister did not enter any restricted area while wearing shoes. Joshi further clarified that misleading photos had been circulated on social media claiming that the minister entered the main temple wearing leather shoes.
He explained that the photo being shared was taken in front of a gate located in the southwest section outside the main Pashupatinath temple. That gate had been constructed in 2059 BS when Basanta Chaudhary was the member secretary of the Trust. The photo shows the Home Minister along with his family, the acting member secretary, and a priest near the pathway from Aryaghat to Guhyeshwari Temple. The Trust stated that this photo was wrongly publicized on social media to mislead the public.
The Trust added that on Wednesday, Minister Aryal paid visits and offered prayers at Pashupatinath, Mrigasthali, Gorkhanath, and Guhyeshwari temples.