Gangotri Dham row: Muslim Jamaat chief calls move divisive; Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple committee too plans to bar non-Hindus

DEHRADUN, BAREILLY: The national president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, criticised the decision to bar non-Hindus from entering the Gangotri Dham, calling it divisive and harmful to communal harmony.

On Monday, Hemant Dwivedi, chairman of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, stated that at their upcoming board meeting, they will table a proposal to prohibit non-Hindus from entering Shri Kedarnath Dham and Shri Badrinath Dhams.

Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi such actions weaken Hindu-Muslim brotherhood and damage the unity of the country. “A strange spectacle has been created in India by a few people with communal mindsets. Whenever a Hindu festival or fair starts, a signboard is displayed beforehand indicating that Muslims are not allowed. Recently, at Gangotri Dham, the committee announced that Muslims would not be allowed”, he said.

#WATCH | Bareilly, UP: On the Gangotri Dham row, National President of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, says, “A strange spectacle has been created in India by a few people with communal mindsets. Whenever a Hindu festival or fair starts, a signboard is… pic.twitter.com/oOXzQdsV2G

— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2026

“Plans are now under way to implement the same measure at Kedarnath and Badrinath. Such actions and sentiments foster extremist beliefs and empower those who aim to weaken the nation, undermine Hindu-Muslim brotherhood, and sow division in society. These individuals are enemies of society,” he said.

This comes after a decision taken unanimously during a meeting of the Shri Gangotri Temple Committee held on Sunday that non-Hindus will be prohibited from entering Gangotri Dham in Uttarakhand.

Following this development, Hemant Dwivedi, chairman of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), stated that at their upcoming board meeting, they will table a proposal to prohibit non-Hindus from entering the Shri Kedarnath and Shri Badrinath Dhams.

#WATCH | Dehradun: On the ban on the entry of non-Hindus in the Shri Badrinath and Kedarnath Dhams, Hemant Dwivedi, Chairman of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, says, “Shri Kedarnath Dham and Shri Badrinath Dham are not tourist destinations. They are the supreme… pic.twitter.com/bZuh0Lwd13

— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2026

The chairman asserted that these shrines are not tourist destinations but the supreme spiritual centres of Sanatan traditions; hence, the entry of non-Hindus to these sites is a matter of religious faith. “Shri Kedarnath Dham and Shri Badrinath Dham are not tourist destinations. They are the supreme spiritual centres of Sanatan traditions. The question of entry here is not a matter of civil rights, but rather a matter of religious faith,” Dwivedi said.

He apprised of bringing forward a proposal to completely ban anyone who does not have faith in Sanatan Dharma. “We have not implemented any new rule. Our pilgrimage priests, our stakeholders, and the saint community believe that the entry of non-Hindus should be prohibited at these religious institutions, centres of religious faith. They should be completely banned from here, and in our upcoming board meeting, we will be bringing forward a proposal to completely ban anyone who does not have faith and belief in Sanatan Dharma, who does not believe in Mother Ganga, who does not have faith in Baba Kedar, who does not have faith in Lord Badrinath, from this area”, Dwivedi said.

“All 48 of our temples under the Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Dham, which include the two main shrines of Shri Kedarnath and Shri Badrinath, and 46 other temples, including Panch Kedar, Panch Badri, Ukhimath, Kalimath, Triyuginarayan, Bhavishya Badri, Narsingh Temple, all our religious institutions and temples, this ban will be fully implemented in all of them,” he added.

Earlier, the Shri Gangotri Temple Committee took a unanimous decision to ban non-Hindus from entering Gangotri Dham. Committee chairman Suresh Semwal stated that, following this resolution, the entry of non-Hindus into the Dham will be strictly prohibited. He further clarified that this ban will also remain in effect at Mukhba, the deity’s winter residence. (ANI)