Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 9: A major political and social controversy has erupted in Maharashtra over the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) call for barring Muslims from entering Garba and Dandiya venues during the coming Navratri festival.
While the political leaders are divided over the issue with some describing the VHP’s call to be against the constitution, the VHP has demanded that non-Hindus, particularly Muslims, should not be allowed to participate in Navratri celebrations, defining Garba as a sacred form of deity worship rather than just a generic public entertainment.
The organization instructed event organizers to mandate Aadhaar card checks at entry points and apply a tilak on the foreheads of attendees to physically verify and establish a Hindu identity. The VHP leadership claimed the steps were precautionary measures to protect the religious integrity of the festival and prevent friction.
The Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane strongly backed the VHP’s stance, alleging that such public events risk becoming centres for issues like “love jihad”. Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye also defended the move on social media, claiming that participation by individuals whose faith forbids idol worship contradicts mutual respect.
Opposition figures—including Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray and Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh—slammed the directive as unconstitutional, discriminatory, and a “fatwa” meant to artificially divide communities.
The Union Minister Ramdas Athawale publicly opposed the ban, stating that it violates the Indian Constitution’s guarantee of equal rights and freedom of movement for all faiths. Additionally, Amruta Fadnavis (social activist and wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis) broke from the hardline narrative, stating that Indian festivals are inherently inclusive and that she saw no issue with Muslims peacefully enjoying the celebrations.
Speaking to the media persons at the Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur after arriving on a day-long visit to Chhattisgarh, Mr Athawale, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in the Narendra Modi cabinet at the Centre, said the stand taken by the VHP was not appropriate as people of different faiths have the right to participate in each other’s festivals.
“I feel this stand is not right because India runs on the Constitution. The Constitution given by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar ensures justice to all religions. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Lingayats, Parsis and people of several other faiths live in India, and the Constitution seeks to protect all religions,” he said.
“It is not good to say that Muslims should not attend garba. Hindu and Muslim communities need to come together and work for the country,” said Mr Athawale, who heads the Republican Party of India. He cited the example of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan where he pointed out that a large number of Hindus visit the shrine every day. “Our country is such that people of all religions should participate in each other’s festivals. We oppose those taking such a stand. Such a stand is against the Constitution,” he asserted.
The VHP last week announced that Muslims would not be allowed entry to ‘garba’ and ‘dandiya’ venues across Maharashtra during the Navratri festival, which begins on October 11.
The Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane had earlier backed the VHP, alleging that cases of “love jihad” tend to increase during such festivals. He said attendees at such festivals should undergo identity checks and recite the Hanuman Chalisa before entry. Love jihad’ is a term used by right-wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure women (mostly from the Hindu community) into relationships for religious conversion.
Mr Rane’s support, however, was blocked by Ms Amruta Fadnavis, social activist and wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who said on Wednesday that Garba should not be restricted to one community. Speaking to reporters in Chandrapur, Amruta Fadnavis said festivals were meant to be inclusive and that she saw nothing wrong with a Muslim person attending a Garba event and enjoying the celebrations peacefully. “If a Muslim person also comes there and enjoys the festival properly, I do not see anything wrong in it,” she said.
Amruta Fadnavis described Garba as a “national celebration” that was also celebrated internationally. She said people from any community or faith should be allowed to participate as long as they attend peacefully and do not cause any disruption. She, however, clarified that she had not studied in depth the other reasons cited by those calling for restrictions on Muslim participation.
Ms Fadnavis also stressed that religious festivals should be celebrated while respecting rules governing public spaces. She said people have the freedom to follow their faith and practise their religion, but public celebrations should be conducted within the prescribed rules and should not inconvenience others. On the use of loud DJs at public events, she said she was not advocating a complete ban but maintained that sound systems should be operated within the limits and regulations prescribed for such occasions.