Controversy Over BJP MLA’s Call to Ban Non-Hindus at Kedarnath

Uttarakhand BJP leader Asha Nautiyal has sparked controversy with her remarks about restricting the entry of non-Hindus to the Kedarnath temple. She alleged that certain non-Hindu individuals were trying to harm the sanctity of the religious site.

Nautiyal claimed that some people were engaged in activities that could tarnish Kedarnath’s image. When asked about reports of meat, fish, and alcohol being served in the area, she said such claims could only be verified through proper investigation. She insisted that those attempting to defame the temple were outsiders and should be barred from entering.

She talked of yet another recent meeting... chaired by Minister-in-Charge Saurabh Bahuguna, where local authorities and residents raised the issue.Some participants, she claims, purportedly suggested that some non-Hindus were trying to defame Kedarnath, and accordingly there was a proposal to identify them and prevent them from getting entry there.

Reacting to Nautiyal’s statement, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Congress leader Harish Rawat criticized the BJP for making sensational remarks. He argued that Uttarakhand, known as 'Devbhoomi,' should not be subjected to religious divisions. "BJP leaders keep bringing religion into everything because they have nothing else to offer the people," he remarked.

The controversy arises just ahead of the Char Dham Yatra, which begins on April 30 with the opening of the Gangotri and Yamunotri temple doors on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.