1 hour ago
4
ARTICLE AD BOX
When the Sabha had sought a ban on the entry of non-Hindus earlier this month, Manglaur MLA Qazi Nizamuddin had said that they had never violated the bylaws restricting entry in Har ki Pauri. However, he said, it is not practical to extend the area to other parts of the city.
Amid demands for a ban on the entry of non-Hindus at Har ki Pauri in Haridwar, boards have been propped up by the Ganga Sabha, stating that non-Hindus are banned from entering the Ganga ghats.
The president of the sabha that manages the ghat, Nitin Gautam, has reiterated that any area within the Kumbh limits, scheduled for early 2027, should be out of bounds for non-Hindus. Gautam cited the 1916 agreement with the British government regarding a ban to back his demand.
He said that the regulation under the guidance of Pt Madan Mohan Malviya, which reportedly restricted the entry and residence of non-Hindus in the Har ki Pauri area, should be extended to the remaining ghats.
This comes a day after Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the government is deliberating on the matter as “Haridwar holds deep historical, religious, and cultural significance”.
“We are in ongoing talks with all stakeholders there, including members of the Ganga Sabha, representatives of religious organisations, and revered saints. We have indicated that we are carefully reviewing all existing laws and regulations related to Haridwar and other pilgrimage sites, based on which the government will proceed,” he said.
Critics have called the move unconstitutional. Samajwadi Party leader S T Hasan said that the country is for everyone, not only for one particular community. “It is not anyone’s private property… According to the Constitution, any Indian can travel from one place to another in the country. Such discussions should be stopped and prohibited. They are spreading hatred in our society,” he said.
Speaking to the media, Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt said that “Sanatan” sentiments should be respected on the issue of the entry of non-Hindus in the Haridwar Kumbh area.
Story continues below this ad
“The objections raised by the Opposition are motivated by appeasement politics. This rule has already been self-established there, and therefore everyone should follow the traditions of religious heads and the local priest community,” Bhatt said.
The discussion has been revived by a video showing two men dressed as Arabs roaming around Har ki Pauri on Tuesday. When local priests noticed them in this attire, they asked them not to come there dressed like this. The youths purportedly responded that they could roam anywhere in India. When people objected, the youths changed their attire and left the spot. The duo were identified as Naveen Kumar and Prince, who run a YouTube channel. Action was taken against both under the Police Act.
When the Sabha had sought a ban on the entry of non-Hindus earlier this month, Manglaur MLA Qazi Nizamuddin had said that they had never violated the bylaws restricting entry in Har ki Pauri. However, he said, it is not practical to extend the area to other parts of the city.
“There is no clarity on the area which will be limited, and Jwalapur in the municipal limits has a sizable Muslim population,” he had told The Indian Express.
Aiswarya Raj is a Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, one of India's most respected media houses, specialising in in-depth coverage of Uttarakhand and the Himalayan region. Her work focuses on delivering essential, ground-up reporting across complex regional issues. Aiswarya brings significant journalistic experience to her role, having started her career at The Indian Express as a Sub-Editor with the Delhi city team. She subsequently developed her reporting expertise by covering Gurugram and its neighboring districts before transitioning to her current focus. She is an accomplished alumna of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) and the University of Kerala. Her reporting is characterized by a commitment to narrative journalism, prioritising the human element and verified facts behind critical events. Aiswarya’s beats demonstrate deep expertise in state politics, law enforcement investigations (e.g., paper leak cases, international cyber scams), human-wildlife conflict, environmental disasters, and socio-economic matters affecting local communities. This specific, sustained focus on critical regional news provides the necessary foundation for high trustworthiness and authoritativeness on topics concerning Uttarakhand. ... Read More
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
English (US) ·