Boards come up at Haridwar’s Har ki Pauri barring entry of non-Hindus

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.

“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.