The Ganga Sabha, which administers the Har-ki-Pauri ghat in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar, on Friday installed hoardings and banners prohibiting the entry of non-Hindus at the religious site, the Hindustan Times reported.

Nandan Kumar, town commissioner of the Haridwar Municipal Corporation, told the newspaper that the matter had come to the notice of the authorities, but no directive had yet been issued. He added that action would be taken once instructions were received from the state government.

Ganga Sabha chief Nitin Gautam, however, cited a municipal bylaw enacted in 1916 under the guidance of Congress leader Madan Mohan Malviya, which reportedly restricted the entry, residence and commercial activities of non-Hindus in the Har-ki-Pauri area.

“Given the increasing influx of visitors and instances of non-Hindus entering this holy site, we are merely adhering to these provisions,” the newspaper quoted Gautam as saying.

He added that the regulation should be extended to the remaining ghats, The Indian Express reported.

“We had earlier demanded a ban on the entry of non-Hindus not only at Har-ki-Pauri but also at all 105 Ganga ghats in Haridwar to preserve the sanctity and spiritual significance of this ancient Hindu pilgrimage site,” the Hindustan Times quoted him as saying.

He said that the managing body had put up boards informing visitors about the prohibition on Friday.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the state government was deliberating on the matter as “Haridwar holds deep historical, religious, and cultural significance”, The Indian Express reported.

“We are in ongoing talks with all stakeholders there, including members of the Ganga Sabha, representatives of religious organisations, and revered saints,” the newspaper quoted Dhami as saying.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader added that the state government was carefully reviewing all existing laws and regulations related to Haridwar and other pilgrimage sites, after which a decision would be taken.

The posters at Har-ki-Pauri triggered a row on Friday, with Opposition parties describing the move as unconstitutional.

Samajwadi Party leader ST Hasan said that the country was for everyone and not just one particular community, The Indian Express reported.

“It is not anyone’s private property,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. Hasan added that any Indian could travel from one place to another in the country as per the Constitution.

“Such discussions should be stopped and prohibited,” the Samajwadi Party leader said. “They are spreading hatred in our society.”

Satpal Brahmachari, former Haridwar municipal committee chairperson and the Congress MP for Sonipat, said that the ghats of the Ganga and the site of the Kumbh Mela extended up to Roorkee, where many non-Hindus reside, the Hindustan Times reported.

“In today’s multi-religious society, how feasible is such a blanket prohibition?” the newspaper quoted him as asking.

Congress MLA Qazi Nizamuddin said that while bylaws should be respected, the issue was being politicised. He claimed that the ruling BJP government in the state was using the controversy to “divert attention” from “governance issues”.

However, Uttarakhand BJP chief Mahendra Bhatt said that “sanatan” sentiments should be respected on the issue of the entry of non-Hindus in the religious site, The Indian Express reported.

Sanatana Dharma is a term some use as a synonym for Hinduism.

Bhatt claimed that the objections raised by the Opposition were motivated by appeasement politics.

“This rule has already been self-established there, and therefore everyone should follow the traditions of religious heads and the local priest community,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.