Uttarakhand’s move to limit non-Hindu visitors at the hallowed Char Dham—Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath—has polarized opinions, with Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) vociferously supporting it and pressing for universal application to India’s Hindu holy sites. This development underscores deepening fault lines over religious access in pilgrimage hubs.
Dr. Surendra Jain, VHP’s global joint general secretary, celebrated the policy. ‘VHP endorses entry curbs at Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath—roll them out nationwide for all tirthas to protect traditions,’ he proclaimed. He spotlighted an Ayodhya incident of attempted sacrilege as emblematic of broader threats.
Dismissing Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind chief Maulana Arshad Madani’s backlash, Jain challenged: ‘Talks peace, peddles hate. Dare to perform Hanuman Chalisa in Mecca—Ayodhya’s holiness mirrors Mecca’s. No non-Muslims there; same for our shrines.’
Tracing Jamiat’s lineage to radical origins and Deoband’s jihadist incubator under Wahhabi sway, Jain enumerated assaults: temple raids, rally stone pelting, female-targeted violence. ‘Mob lynchings? Jihadist hallmark. We’ve tallied 187 Hindu victims since last year—recently Khetaram Bheel (Barmer), Sitaram (Bhilwara), Tejaram (Bareilly), Jayanti Bhati (Gujarat). Comprehensive list imminent.’
Jain decried worldwide jihadism, from UK-US hate chants to Jamiat’s militant defenses masked as peace advocacy. ‘As a Hindu rashtra, India embraces diversity uniquely—far beyond Muslim countries’ internal strife. Cherish Hindu forbearance; shun temple insults,’ he concluded, galvanizing a movement for symmetric religious safeguards.