Tensions are simmering across India following Uttarakhand temple committees’ imposition of entry controls on non-Hindus at the iconic Char Dham circuit: Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has thrown its full weight behind the decision, demanding its replication at every Hindu shrine nationwide to uphold spiritual integrity.
Dr. Surendra Jain, VHP’s international joint general secretary, lauded the policy in a press release. ‘VHP applauds the controls at Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath—and calls for bans on non-Hindus at all Hindu pilgrimage sites,’ he stated firmly. Drawing parallels to a disturbing Ayodhya episode involving an attempt to violate temple sanctity, Jain decried such acts as grave crimes against faith.
Maulana Arshad Madani’s outspoken opposition from Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind prompted a fierce rebuttal. ‘He preaches brotherhood while sowing discord,’ Jain retorted. ‘Let him prove harmony by chanting Hanuman Chalisa in Mecca. Ayodhya holds for us what Mecca does for Muslims—no entry for outsiders there, so why here?’
Delving deeper, Jain linked Jamiat to historical radical movements and accused it of nurturing Wahhabi extremism from Deoband, a hub he called terrorist-nurturing. He recounted patterns of temple assaults, procession disruptions, and atrocities on Hindu women, flipping the narrative on mob violence: ‘Lynchings are jihadist trademarks, not Hindu. We’ve documented 187 Hindu deaths by mobs last year, with fresh tragedies in Barmer, Bhilwara, Bareilly, and Gujarat.’ A detailed list is forthcoming, he announced.
Jain broadened the lens to global jihadist threats, from beheading chants in Western cities to Jamiat’s alleged courtroom defenses of militants. ‘India thrives as a Hindu rashtra, offering space to all—unlike many Muslim nations. Reciprocate our tolerance; cease the provocations,’ he implored, framing the debate as a quest for mutual religious respect in a diverse nation.
