E-Paper
Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists exempted from Kedarnath, Badrinath ban: Temple committee
“Under Article 25 of the Constitution, the definition of Hindus includes people professing Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism,” BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi said.
Dehradun : The Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) said on Tuesday that the proposal barring non-Hindus from 47 major temples, including Badrinath Dham and Kedarnath Dham, under its jurisdiction will “exempt Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, and would only apply to Muslims and Christians”.
“Under Article 25 of the Constitution, the definition of Hindus includes people professing Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism,” BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi said, suggesting that the ban on non-Hindus would only apply to Muslims and Christians.
He added that the proposal is slated for approval during a board meeting in late January or early February.
“Administrators and priests of all major temples in the state believed that to maintain the sanctity of the temples, a ban on the entry of non-Hindus needed to be imposed...” he told news agency ANI.
Earlier on Monday, Dwivedi had said that these shrines are not tourist destinations but the supreme spiritual centres of Sanatan traditions. Hence, the issue of non-Hindu entry to these sites is a matter of religious faith, he added.
The proposal has sparked widespread criticism, with Opposition Congress calling it a diversion “tactic”.
“It is merely a tactic by the Dhami government to divert attention from the fundamental issues faced by the state,” state Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal said.
Dehradun-based Muslim Sewa Sangathan called the proposal “unconstitutional”.
“They just want to push forward the social untouchability of Muslims in the country,” he said, adding that by doing this, they are destroying the composite culture of the country.
Dwivedi, however, has defended the proposal. “The entry of non-Hindus has traditionally been restricted in these temples. There is now a need to give it a formal shape because instances of ‘land jihad’ and the construction of mazars have emerged in the state. Strict measures are required to maintain the sanctity of Devbhoomi and its sacred shrines, so that the fundamental character of the state remains intact,” he said.
