By Aiswarya Raj
Kedarnath MLA Asha Nautiyal has demanded that non-Hindus be banned from the region, alleging that they were “maligning the faith by indulging in practices that hurt the sentiments of the locals”. Congress has called the statement an affront to her position.
Speaking to the media Sunday, Nautiyal said: “I conducted a meeting with locals and they informed me that non-Hindus are hurting the religious sentiments there. People from across the world go to worship Baba Kedar so those people (non-Hindus) should be banned from going there. The local businessmen also demanded that such things should be discouraged,” Nautiyal, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said, adding that all four dhams where people hurt sentiments of Hindus should ban non-Hindus.
Supporting her statement, BJP media-in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan told The Indian Express, “The BJP backs her statements because it is about the sentiments of Hinduism. These four pilgrimages are important in Sanatan Dharma and people take this pilgrimage in lakhs there every year.”
Chauhan said that the businessmen in the region have alleged that liquor and meat were sold in Kedarnath. “Over the last few years, there has been news of disruption by Muslims and they have been selling meat in the region. This was raked up by the businessmen in Kedarnath. It’s wrong to conduct such businesses in this holy abode. There are liquor shops as well in the guise of other businesses,” he added.
According to the excise policy of the state, liquor is banned near religious places.
Meanwhile, Congress president Karan Mahara said that it was unfortunate that an MLA is speaking in this manner for political mileage.
“Wrong and right cannot be dictated based on one’s religion. She has taken an oath under the Constitution and India is a country which treats all its citizens equally before law. You have levelled several allegations and are the MLA, so try to prevent people from engaging in such matters. Why target just minorities? Every citizen should be seen as a citizen,” he said.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.