The Crossbill Team
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reignited communal tensions with a fresh demand to prohibit non-Hindus from visiting Kedarnath and other Char Dham pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand.
The call for the ban was made by Asha Nautiyal, BJP legislator from Kedarnath, who claimed that the presence of non-Hindus was hurting Hindu religious sentiments and tarnishing the sanctity of these revered shrines.
Nautiyal told news agency ANI that certain individuals visit Kedarnath Dham and engage in activities that tarnish the sanctity of the pilgrimage site.
"We need to look into it because if such an issue has been raised, then there must be something to it. We will demand that the entry of such people be banned," she said.
Nautiyal stated that she would formally request Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to impose such a ban, alleging that non-Hindu visitors consume liquor and meat in the holy region.
Her remarks came following a recent meeting with local traders in Rudraprayag district, where she claimed that business owners had also demanded such restrictions ahead of the annual Char Dham Yatra.
The demand has drawn criticism from opposition leaders and community members, with many viewing it as part of the BJP’s broader campaign of communal polarization. Nautiyal’s victory in the Kedarnath Assembly by-election last year coincided with an aggressive anti-Muslim campaign by the ruling party, during which Muslim shopkeepers were allegedly targeted.
Right-wing figures like Swami Darshan Bharati and his supporters had reportedly threatened Muslim traders, tearing down their shop signboards.
Observers believe the renewed push for exclusion may be linked to the seasonal influx of Muslim labourers from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, who bring horses and ponies to assist pilgrims on the arduous journey to Kedarnath.
This is not the first time the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have attempted to stoke fears over Muslim presence in Uttarakhand. In 2021, RSS leader Ajendra Ajay—who headed the Kedarnath-Badrinath temple committee—raised concerns over alleged land purchases by Muslims in the hill state.
However, a subsequent survey by the state administration found no evidence to support these claims.
Reacting to the latest controversy, Uttarakhand Congress senior vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana accused the BJP of deliberately stoking communal tensions to divert public attention from its failures.
Addressing the media, he alleged that the ruling party was attempting to mask its shortcomings on issues such as Indo-US relations, the treatment of Indian deportees, economic distress, and recent tragedies like the Mahakumbh and New Delhi railway station stampedes.
“The BJP has been relentlessly trying to communalize situations, whether during the Mahakumbh or Holi celebrations,” Dhasmana said.
“But the people of India—Hindus and Muslims alike—have rejected their divisive politics and upheld peace and harmony,” he added.
As the controversy unfolds, the BJP’s demand for a religious ban at Kedarnath is expected to face legal and political scrutiny, with opposition voices warning against the dangerous precedent it could set for religious freedoms in India.
The call for the ban was made by Asha Nautiyal, BJP legislator from Kedarnath, who claimed that the presence of non-Hindus was hurting Hindu religious sentiments and tarnishing the sanctity of these revered shrines.
Nautiyal told news agency ANI that certain individuals visit Kedarnath Dham and engage in activities that tarnish the sanctity of the pilgrimage site.
"We need to look into it because if such an issue has been raised, then there must be something to it. We will demand that the entry of such people be banned," she said.
Nautiyal stated that she would formally request Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to impose such a ban, alleging that non-Hindu visitors consume liquor and meat in the holy region.
Her remarks came following a recent meeting with local traders in Rudraprayag district, where she claimed that business owners had also demanded such restrictions ahead of the annual Char Dham Yatra.
The demand has drawn criticism from opposition leaders and community members, with many viewing it as part of the BJP’s broader campaign of communal polarization. Nautiyal’s victory in the Kedarnath Assembly by-election last year coincided with an aggressive anti-Muslim campaign by the ruling party, during which Muslim shopkeepers were allegedly targeted.
Right-wing figures like Swami Darshan Bharati and his supporters had reportedly threatened Muslim traders, tearing down their shop signboards.
Observers believe the renewed push for exclusion may be linked to the seasonal influx of Muslim labourers from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, who bring horses and ponies to assist pilgrims on the arduous journey to Kedarnath.
This is not the first time the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have attempted to stoke fears over Muslim presence in Uttarakhand. In 2021, RSS leader Ajendra Ajay—who headed the Kedarnath-Badrinath temple committee—raised concerns over alleged land purchases by Muslims in the hill state.
However, a subsequent survey by the state administration found no evidence to support these claims.
Reacting to the latest controversy, Uttarakhand Congress senior vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana accused the BJP of deliberately stoking communal tensions to divert public attention from its failures.
Addressing the media, he alleged that the ruling party was attempting to mask its shortcomings on issues such as Indo-US relations, the treatment of Indian deportees, economic distress, and recent tragedies like the Mahakumbh and New Delhi railway station stampedes.
“The BJP has been relentlessly trying to communalize situations, whether during the Mahakumbh or Holi celebrations,” Dhasmana said.
“But the people of India—Hindus and Muslims alike—have rejected their divisive politics and upheld peace and harmony,” he added.
As the controversy unfolds, the BJP’s demand for a religious ban at Kedarnath is expected to face legal and political scrutiny, with opposition voices warning against the dangerous precedent it could set for religious freedoms in India.
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