BJP MLA Asha Nautiyal claimed non-Hindu individuals were harming the Kedarnath temple’s sanctity and supported restricting their entry to the site.
Uttarakhand BJP leader Asha Nautiyal’s remarks seeking to restrict the entry of non-Hindus to the Kedarnath temple have sparked a controversy. The Kedarnath MLA alleged that some non-Hindu individuals are trying to harm the sanctity of the religious site, reacting to which, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that BJP leaders are in the habit of making sensational remarks.
“Some non-Hindu elements are attempting to damage the sanctity of Kedarnath Dham,” Nautiyal said.
“If some people are doing anything that may malign the image of Kedarnath Dham, then their entry should be banned. They are definitely non-Hindus who come from outside and get involved in such activities to defame the dham,” she said.
Nautiyal mentioned that a recent meeting on the matter was held by minister-in-charge Saurabh Bahuguna with local authorities and residents.
During the meeting, some participants suggested that certain non-Hindu individuals were attempting to tarnish Kedarnath temple’s reputation, she said, adding that it was proposed that such individuals should be identified and barred from entering the site.
Reacting to Nautiyal’s remarks, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat said, “It is a habit of the BJP leaders to make sensational remarks. Uttarakhand is a ‘devbhoomi‘ and how long will you attach everything with religion? They are doing this because they don’t have anything to tell people.”
The portals of Kedarnath Dham will be opened on May 2 and Badrinath Dham on May 4