Ahmedabad: Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) International President Alok Kumar on January 31, Saturday expressed support for a proposal to ban non-Hindus from entering temples, stating that places of worship are not for “tourism” and should be respected. Speaking to ANI, Kumar stated, “In Uttarakhand, the Char Dham Temple Committee has urged the government to ban the entry of non-Hindus, as it is not a place for ‘Mandir Tourism’ or outings but a place of worship”. He further claimed that cases of alleged “love jihad” were increasing in Gujarat and that steps were being taken to address the issue.
“We are also concerned about the increasing cases of so-called ‘love jihad’ in Gujarat. Steps are being taken to control this, as well as cases of religious conversion in the state”, he added. Meanwhile, several major temples in Uttarakhand have been considering a ban on non-Hindus. Non-Hindu people will be prohibited from entering Gangotri Dham in Uttarakhand after a decision taken unanimously during a meeting of the Shri Gangotri Temple Committee held on January 25.
Meanwhile, Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Hemant Dwivedi said that a proposal to ban non-Hindus from entering both Dhams and all temples under the Temple Committee will be presented at the upcoming board meeting. Additionally, the Uttarakhand government is considering restricting the entry of non-Hindus to the 105 ghats of Haridwar, which span an area of 120 sq km, in response to requests from certain seers and the Ganga Sabha, the authority responsible for the upkeep of the prominent Har-ki-Pauri ghat. Additionally, the state is reportedly planning to designate both Haridwar and Rishikesh as “sanatan pavitra shehar”(sacred cities).
(With Inputs from ANI)
