Dehradun, Jan. 31 -- After Kedarnath, Badrinath and Gangotri temples, the Yamunotri Dham in the state on Friday announced that it would decide whether to allow non-Hindus in the temple or not, which legal experts said is a violation of the Constitution. Yamunotri Dham Temple Committee secretary Sunil Uniyal said: "No meeting has taken place so far on this issue. We have come to know about the move to ban non-Hindus in Kedarnath, Badrinath and Gangotri. The matter will be discussed and a decision will be taken during the committee meeting in March." Taking a cue from the Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), which has proposed a ban on the entry of non-Hindus in 47 temples under its jurisdiction, including Badrinath and Kedarnath, the Gangotri Dham Temple Committee said it has unanimously decided to prohibit Christians and Muslims from entering the temple premises. Gangotri Dham Temple Committee secretary Suresh Semwal said: "Those who consume beef will not be allowed to enter the Dham. Muslims and Christians do that." On Tuesday, informing about the proposal, BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi said the proposal was slated to be placed for approval during a board meeting in early February. "Under Article 25 of the Constitution, the definition of Hindus includes people professing Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism," Dwivedi said. The proposal has sparked widespread criticism, with the Opposition Congress describing it as a "diversionary tactic". State Congress president Ganesh Godiyal said: "It is merely a tactic by the Dhami government to divert attention from the fundamental issues faced by the state." Countering the criticism, BJP leader Ajendra Ajay said: "This is Devbhoomi, and whatever is necessary to protect its sanctity must be done. Such steps are justified, and the Congress should refrain from indulging in politics over the issue." Political analyst SMA Kazmi termed the development a "clearly political move" ahead of next year's assembly elections. "First, signboards barring non-Hindus were put up at Har-ki-Pauri in Haridwar. Then the discussion on the Char Dham temples began. It is nothing but a political move ahead of next year's assembly polls to divert voters' attention from the burning issues," Kazmi said. High court lawyer Kartikeya Hari Gupta said restricting a person's entry into a particular area on the basis of religion is "unconstitutional" and "unlawful". "No such law exists. Even if such a law is enacted, it would have to withstand scrutiny by constitutional courts," he said....