Congress Infighting Surfaces Amid Controversy Over Gangotri Dham Entry Ban

Acharya Pramod criticizes Congress's Harish Rawat's comments on BJP's new temple entry policy at Gangotri Dham, urging him to focus on internal party issues. Rawat opposes the ban on non-Hindus entering the temple, claiming BJP is deflecting from election issues. Uttarakhand's government promises stakeholder consideration in policy reviews.

Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod has hit back at senior Congress leader Harish Rawat for his critical comments regarding the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) stance on the Gangotri Dham issue. On Monday, Pramod urged Rawat to concentrate on Congress's internal issues rather than critiquing BJP policies, suggesting a re-evaluation of Rahul Gandhi's leadership.

The exchange came after Rawat, a former Uttarakhand Chief Minister, condemned the BJP-led Shri Gangotri Temple Committee's decision to ban non-Hindus from entering the Gangotri Dham. Rawat accused the BJP of fabricating issues since they have exhausted their electoral agenda. Responding, he emphasized the importance of religious inclusivity, claiming that places of worship should attract rather than exclude people of other faiths.

The controversy has prompted a response from Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who assured the public that the state government would consider views from all stakeholders during reviews of ancient religious site laws. Dhami stated that inputs from religious organizations, pilgrimage committees, and local authorities would be paramount in refining policy decisions.

(With inputs from agencies.)