India, Jan. 28 -- The Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) said on Tuesday that the proposal barring non-Hindus from 47 major temples, including Badrinath Dham and Kedarnath Dham, under its jurisdiction will "exempt Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, and would only apply to Muslims and Christians".

"Under Article 25 of the Constitution, the definition of Hindus includes people professing Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism," BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi said, suggesting that the ban on non-Hindus would only apply to Muslims and Christians.

He added that the proposal is slated for approval during a board meeting in late January or early February.

"Administrators and priests of all major temples in the state believed that to maintain the ...