Rudraprayag: A Muslim man was allegedly harassed in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath over his religious identity, with local Hindutva workers citing the ban on non-Hindus in the area.
The video that surfaced on social media on Wednesday, April 22, showed a man surrounded by three to four individuals in the backdrop of mountain trails leading up to the temple.
The Muslim man came from Jammu and operated a mule on the Kedarnath pilgrimage route during the Char Dham Yatra. The individuals threatened him and used abusive language while questioning his presence.
“Musalmaano ko ban kar rakha hai (Muslims are banned here),” a man filming the incident was heard saying. “Saale tum yahapar kamate ho aur hum pe hi bomb phod te ho (You bastards, you earn your living here yet you drop bombs on us).”
Another individual said, “Look, Muslims have reached even in Kedarnath, I don’t know what the government is doing,” while another person said, “Char Dham pe banned ho tumlog (You all are banned during the Char Dham).”
The Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC) in March had approved the proposal seeking to restrict the entry of “non-Sanatanis” at the Kedarnath Temple, along with Badrinath and 45 other temples under its jurisdiction.
The two shrines are part of the Char Dham pilgrimage route and one of the most visited holy sites in the state.
BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi confirmed the restriction, saying the decision is intended to “preserve the spiritual sanctity and religious traditions” of the shrines and manage the increasing crowds during the yatra.
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