Religious Body Demands Ban On Shop Allotment To Non-Hindus At Mahakumbh Mela In Uttar Pradesh

Allahabad: A Hindu religious body, Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad, has reportedly demanded that no shops be allotted to ‘non-Hindus’ in the Mahakumbh Mela area in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.

The fair will begin on January 13 and conclude on February 26.

“A trend has been seen across India to corrupt the Sanatani people – Hindus, sadhus and their castes, be it Brahmins or Thakurs,” Ravindra Puri, the religious body’s president, said as quoted by the Scroll.

But, authorities, according to reports, claimed that the allocation is carried out through a bidding process. “Whosoever qualifies the bidding criteria gets the allocation,” Vijay Kiran Anand, the officer in charge of the event, told The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, such a demand has been opposed by the All India Muslim Jamaat, a Muslim religious body. Jamat has claimed that such a divide will create a rift in society, reported The Times of India.

“This decision would promote communalism and spread hatred in society,” said Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, the national president of the organisation, as quoted by TOI. He also urged the Uttar Pradesh government to initiate legal actions against people putting forth such demands.