Mussoorie, Feb. 8 -- The Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has urged the central government to deploy paramilitary forces at the Kedarnath shrine to bolster security during the upcoming Char Dham Yatra season. BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi said the committee had written to the Centre, citing the shrine's sensitive location and the rising number of visitors. "It is a routine procedure. Kedarnath is a security-sensitive area and the number of pilgrims visiting the Himalayan shrine is increasing every year. Enhanced security through paramilitary deployment is the need of the hour, as is done at other major shrines across the country," he said. The proposal has elicited a mixed response from local stakeholders. Raj Kumar Tiwari, president of the Kedarnath Sabha, an organisation of temple priests, accused the BKTC of shirking its duties. "BKTC was formed to ensure hassle-free darshan for devotees, but this shows it is incapable of performing its duties," he said. Tiwari clarified that priests would not oppose paramilitary deployment but would resist any infringement on their rights or shrine traditions. Official data show nearly 1.76 million devotees visited Kedarnath during the 2025 Char Dham Yatra, up from 1.65 million the previous year. The BKTC sparked controversy in January by proposing to bar non-Hindus from 47 temples under its jurisdiction, including Kedarnath Dham and Badrinath Dham. The plan exempted Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists, targeting only Muslims and Christians. "The entry of non-Hindus has traditionally been restricted in these temples. There is a need to give it a formal shape, especially in view of incidents related to 'land jihad' and the construction of mazars in the state," said Dwivedi....