The Vishva Hindu Parishad has called for Muslims to be barred from participating in garba events in Maharashtra and urged organisers to verify the identities of attendees, according to media reports.
The Hindu nationalist organisation has proposed checking participants’ Aadhaar cards and applying a tilak, a traditional Hindu mark worn on the forehead, as part of the verification process, India Today reported.
VHP spokesperson Shriraj Nair said the organisation wanted to prevent Muslims from taking part because garba is associated with worship of the Hindu goddess Durga.
“Navratri is not just about songs and dance,” Nair was quoted as saying. He questioned why Muslims, whom he said did not practise idol worship, should participate in the festival.
Nair said the move was not aimed at any particular community but was intended to preserve what the organisation described as the Hindu character of the festival.
Garba is a traditional Gujarati dance performed during Navratri, often around a lamp or an image of the goddess Durga. This year, Navratri is scheduled to run from Oct. 11 to Oct. 20.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad is among several Hindu nationalist organisations associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which has close ideological links with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The proposal drew criticism from opposition leaders. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut said Muslims had contributed to India’s freedom struggle and its cultural life. He also called on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to respond to the VHP’s position.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the move could disrupt social harmony, according to The Times of India.
Hindu nationalist groups have previously called for identity checks at garba and dandiya events, citing concerns over what they describe as “love jihad” — a conspiracy theory alleging that Muslim men deliberately enter relationships with Hindu women to convert them to Islam.
The Indian government has told Parliament that there is no legal provision defining “love jihad” under Indian law.
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