M.M. Joshi condemns music concert at Badrinath, urges Centre and Uttarakhand government to ban such events

Amid a controversy over concert-style “Bhajan Jamming” organised by the Indian Army at the Badrinath shrine, veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader M.M. Joshi on Friday criticised the act and termed it a violation of the shrine’s cultural traditions and religious sanctity.

Organised under the theme “Our Heritage, Our Future”, the event was held at the Tourist Arrival Plaza adjoining the Badrinath temple, at an altitude of over 10,200 feet on September 19-20, 2026. The Chamoli district administration and Uttarakhand Tourism Department attributed the event’s organisation to the Indian Army.

Taking to the social media platform X, Mr Joshi said that organising a loud musical event at the sacred Himalayan shrine amounted to an assault on the faith of millions of devotees.