27 January,2026 03:34 PM IST | Bareilly | mid-day online correspondent
Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat. PIC/ X SCREENGRAB
Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, criticised the decision to bar non-Hindus from Gangotri Dham, calling it "divisive" and harmful to communal harmony.
According to the news agency ANI, he warned that such measures threaten Hindu-Muslim unity and undermine the nation's social cohesion.
Speaking to ANI on Monday, Barelvi said, "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."
"Plans are now underway 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, reported ANI.
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.
Speaking to ANI, 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.
The Shri Gangotri Temple Committee on Sunday decided to bar non-Hindus from entering Gangotri Dham in Uttarakhand, including Mukhba, the deity's winter residence. The move was approved unanimously during a Sunday meeting, according to Committee Chairman Suresh Semwal, reported ANI.
Meanwhile, Hemant Dwivedi, chairman of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, said a proposal to restrict non-Hindu entry to all temples under the committee will be discussed at an upcoming board meeting.
Separately, the Uttarakhand government is considering limiting non-Hindu access to Haridwar's 105 ghats, covering 120 sq km, following requests from certain seers and the Ganga Sabha. The state also plans to designate Haridwar and Rishikesh as "sanatan pavitra shehar" (sacred cities).
(With ANI inputs)
