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New Delhi: A dispute arose in Haridwar after the district administration invited three Muslim MLAs to attend a state foundation day celebration at the Har-ki-Pauri ghat. The invitation drew objections from the Ganga Sabha, which oversees the historic site, citing a long-standing rule barring “non-Hindus” from entering the ghat – a restriction reportedly established under the Haridwar Municipal Act of 1935 during British rule.
The event was held on Monday, November 11, with chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and several BJP leaders in attendance. As per protocol, the Haridwar district administration extended invitations to local MLAs, including BSP MLA Mohammad Shahzad from Laksar and Congress MLAs Furqan Ahmed and Qazi Nizamuddin from Piran Kaliyar and Manglaur, respectively. However, none of the MLAs attended the event.
A Ganga Sabha member confirmed to the Times of India that “some issues were raised,” but declined to elaborate, saying only that “everything went well.” Meanwhile, Anuj Walia, state coordinator for the Bajrang Dal, expressed strong opposition to the MLAs’ invitations. “Har-ki-Pauri is a holy place for Hindus, and entry of Muslims is not allowed there,” he told the Times of India. Walia claimed the administration acknowledged the error and assured that such an invitation would not be extended in the future.
The boycott from the three MLAs appeared to be unrelated to the controversy. Nizamuddin clarified that he and Furqan Ahmed were both out of the state, campaigning in Maharashtra for the upcoming assembly elections. “My party has given me a key role for the Maharashtra assembly elections and I have been campaigning for the party for the past few weeks. Furqan Ahmed is also campaigning in Maharashtra,” Nizamuddin told the Times of India.
Shahzad downplayed the right-wing opposition to the Times of India, saying, “We don’t care about the resistance by right-wing outfits as they are working on a propaganda to polarise the society. We know the sanctity of Ganga and Har-ki-Pauri and as residents of Haridwar district, we respect it.” He also noted his reluctance to attend government events due to previous experiences, alleging they are often “hijacked” by BJP leaders who sideline other elected representatives. He criticised the event’s focus, arguing that funds could have been better allocated for development work rather than ceremonial gatherings.
Haridwar district magistrate Karmendra Singh defended the invitations, stating that the administration was simply following standard protocol for district MLAs, while also being mindful of the Ganga Sabha’s concerns, according to a Times of India report.
