Bhopal, Sep 22 (IANS) With Sharad Navratri still weeks away, a political controversy over non-Hindu entry to Garba events has erupted in Madhya Pradesh after successive remarks by BJP leaders triggered debate.
Mhow MLA Usha Thakur, speaking about Garba events ahead of Navratri, backed Hindu organisations’ demands for restrictions on participation and said the traditional dance should remain linked to religious observance.
“This demand of the Hindu organisations is very appropriate. Garba should never be professional. Garba is a festival of worshipping the power of Goddess Durga,” Thakur told IANS.
She alleged that some people enter Garba venues by concealing their identities, including by wearing a tilak and tying a kalava (sacred thread). She claimed such individuals mislead Hindu women and called for identity verification at Garba venues. Thakur also demanded that non-Hindus be barred from entering Garba pandals.
She added that the Sanatani community should study scriptures and weapons, while women should develop themselves in all aspects and be prepared to protect religion, culture and the nation.
Her remarks came a day after BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma triggered a separate controversy over the participation of Muslim men in Garba events. Speaking at a public programme in Bhopal, Sharma questioned why Muslim men wanted to attend Garba alone and said they should bring their sisters and daughters along.
He also said Muslims could participate if they came “permanently”, chanted “Jai Shri Ram” and applied a tilak. Sharma further warned against attempts to turn Garba into a spectacle or use the events for what he described as “Love Jihad”, saying the youth were ready to retaliate.
His remarks drew criticism from Congress MLA Arif Masood, who termed the language offensive.
The successive statements by BJP leaders have brought participation and identity verification at Garba events into the political discourse in Madhya Pradesh ahead of Navratri once again. Sharad Navratri, a nine-night Hindu festival celebrated across India, will begin on October 11 this year.
–IANS
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