BJP MLA Asha Nautiyal has called for restrictions on the entry of non-Hindus to Kedarnath, citing concerns over the sentiments of Hindu devotees. She claimed that certain activities at the site were offending pilgrims and suggested that non-Hindus should be banned from all four sites of the Char Dham Yatra. “I conducted a meeting with locals, and they informed me that non-Hindus are hurting religious sentiments there.
People from across the world go to worship Baba Kedar, so those people [non-Hindus] should be banned from going there,” Nautiyal told PTI. She also added that local businessmen had expressed similar concerns, urging that such activities be discouraged.
As an elected representative, Nautiyal emphasized her responsibility to address the matter, insisting that pilgrims should return from Char Dham with the same faith they arrive with.
Kedarnath, a revered jyotirling dedicated to Lord Shiva, is a central part of the Char Dham Yatra, which also includes Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. The pilgrimage is set to begin on April 30, with Kedarnath’s doors opening on May 2. Nautiyal’s remarks have sparked strong reactions from opposition leaders.
Congress state vice president Suryakant Dhasmana accused the BJP of using religion to deepen divisions in society, asserting that the party’s repeated targeting of the Muslim community at religious events like Maha Kumbh, Holi, Jumme ki Namaz, and the Char Dham Yatra was part of a national agenda to disrupt communal harmony.
He suggested that such statements were meant to deflect attention from pressing issues like unemployment and inflation.
Former Chief Minister Harish Rawat also criticized the BJP for making sensational remarks, suggesting that the party had no substantive issues to address and was relying on religious rhetoric. “Uttarakhand is a devbhoomi, so how long will you keep attaching everything to religion?” Rawat questioned, emphasizing that such divisive statements were unnecessary.
This story was originally published in muslimmirror.com. Read the full story here.