The Congress party stated that the BJP government in the state is resorting to such tactics to divert attention from public issues. Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that the government should carefully consider where to impose restrictions and implement them all at once.
उत्तराखंडः बद्रीनाथ, केदारनाथ, गंगोत्री में सिख, ईसाई, बौध, मुसलमान के प्रवेश पर लगेगी रोक, मंदिर समिति का फरमान
In Uttarakhand, entry to Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Gangotri will now be restricted for non-Hindus. However, the Yamunotri temple committee, one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites, has not yet made a decision on this matter. The Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee has reached a consensus on the issue and a decision will be taken at a board meeting soon, while the Gangotri Temple Committee has already made its decision.
Hemant Dwivedi, chairman of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee, said that a consensus has been reached with all stakeholders, including sadhus, priests, and local residents, on the issue of restricting the entry of non-Hindus into the temple areas. He said, “The proposal will be formally approved at the temple committee board meeting later this week, after which this rule will be implemented in Badrinath and Kedarnath Dhams.”
Hemant Dwivedi said, “The restriction on the entry of non-Hindus has been in place since the time of Adi Shankaracharya, and our constitution also gives us the right to manage our religious places.” He added, “Badrinath and Kedarnath Dhams are not tourist destinations but centers of faith. These are Vedic centers established by Adi Shankaracharya. Article 26 of the Indian Constitution gives every religious denomination the right to manage its own religious affairs.” However, he also said that people who believe in Sanatan Dharma are welcome in these temples.
When asked about Sikh and Jain devotees who have been visiting Kedarnath and Badrinath Dhams for a long time, the temple committee chairman said that the issue is not about any particular religion but about the individual’s faith in that religious place. Uttarakhand Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (retd.) has also been visiting both temples.
Meanwhile, Suresh Semwal, secretary of the Gangotri Temple Committee, said that no non-Hindu will be allowed to enter the temple of Goddess Ganga. Semwal said, “We have repeatedly stated this before, and now we are announcing again on behalf of the temple committee that any non-Hindu will be prevented from entering the temple of Goddess Bhagwati Ganga. Gangotri Dham will be completely off-limits to non-Hindus.”
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also commented on the matter, saying that the temple committees play the main role in managing the Char Dham Yatra, while the government’s role is only supportive. He added that the views of all stakeholders would be considered in this regard.
It is noteworthy that recently, the Ganga Sabha, the organization managing Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding ghats in Haridwar, also demanded that non-Hindus be prohibited from entering all Ganga ghats and religious places in the Kumbh area before the proposed Ardh Kumbh next year. The Ganga Sabha, citing the Haridwar Municipal Act of 1916, has also put up “Non-Hindu Prohibition Zone” signs in the area around Har Ki Pauri.
The Congress party reacted to this, saying that the BJP government in the state is doing such things to divert attention from public issues. Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said, “The government should decide where it wants to impose restrictions and implement them all at once. By doing this repeatedly, they want to confuse people and divert attention from public problems.”
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