Boards barring non-Hindus at Har ki Pauri come up in Uttarakhand
Haridwar (PTI): Amid demands to declare the Haridwar Kumbh area in Uttarakhand a Hindu zone and restrict entry to non-Hindus at all religious places and Ganga ghats within it, signs reading 'Non-Hindu prohibited area' were put up at Har Ki Pauri on Friday.
The Ganga Sabha, the organisation that manages and maintains Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding ghats, has put up these signs on all entry points to the area, including on bridge railings and pillars.
However, the main bathing ghat of Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding area are already restricted for non-Hindus according to the Haridwar Municipal Act of 1916.
These signs were put up after a video went viral three days ago showing two young men wearing Kandura (traditional Arab attire) roaming in the Har Ki Pauri area. However, it was later revealed that these two young men were Hindus and had come to make a video for their YouTube channel.
The Sabha has demanded that all religious places, temples, and Ganga ghats in the entire Haridwar Kumbh area be restricted for non-Hindus before the 'Ardh Kumbh' next year, a demand that the Uttarakhand government is also seriously considering.
Following the Kandura incident, the Sabha had also appealed to officials of government departments, other organisations, and media houses not to appoint their non-Hindu employees in this area. They stated that this was necessary to maintain the sanctity and purity of the area.
Regarding the installation of the new signs, Ganga Sabha president Nitin Gautam told PTI, "According to the Haridwar Municipal Bylaws of 1916, the entry of non-Hindus into the Har Ki Pauri area is completely prohibited. This sign has been put up to inform everyone about this bylaw."
He said that this step has been taken to publicly share information about the law and traditions, so that the sanctity of the pilgrimage site is maintained and no confusion or controversy arises.
Haridwar Municipal Commissioner Nandan Kumar also stated that the 1916 bylaws prohibit the entry of non-Hindus into the Har Ki Pauri area.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
