BJP Lawmaker Asha Nautiyal Calls For Banning Non-Hindus From Kedarnath
She said non-Hindus serve meat, fish and liquor to co-devotees to spoil the sanctity of the sacred place. Cabinet minister Saurabh Bahuguna held a meeting.
Published : March 15, 2025 at 7:05 PM IST
Dehradun: Ahead of the Char Dham Yatra, which is set to start on April 30, BJP's Kedarnath MLA Asha Nautiyal has called for disallowing non-Hindus from the pilgrimage, saying they serve meat, fish and liquor to the devotees to spoil the sanctity of the sacred place.
She said she would make an effort to identify such people and ban them from taking the journey.
Recently, Saurabh Bahuguna, cabinet minister and the minister in charge of Rudraprayag, held a meeting with the people of the area where the matter of non-Hindus' intention to defame the Kedarnath Dham was deliberated upon. It was suggested in the meeting to identify them and impose a ban on their entry to the pilgrimage site.
"In that meeting, the local businessmen had openly demanded a thorough investigation and ban on those who carry meat and alcohol with them to Kedarnath," Nautiyal said.
"Before Holi, we held a meeting in Rudraprayag regarding the Yatra season. In this meeting, all the senior officials of the district, public representatives and stakeholders related to the Yatra, besides the representatives of Pada Purohit, traders, mules, Dandi Kanthi and other businessmen were called. Everyone gave their suggestions regarding the upcoming Yatra season. One of these suggestions was that there are complaints of activities like alcohol, meat, etc. in the Dham. On this, it was decided that such people, especially in Kedarnath, who play with the identity and religious importance of the Dham should be identified and barred," Bahuguna said.
"Kedarnath is the center of our faith, and the practice of eating and serving alcohol and meat there is an affront to our culture and our tradition, which cannot be tolerated at any cost," he added.
