Mumbai: Days after the the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) called for ban on Muslims attending garba and dandiya events in Maharashtra, Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has said she believes that Navratri celebrations should be inclusive and anyone including Muslims can attend and enjoy it.
On Wednesday, BJP minister Nitesh Rane also supported the ban, but Amruta countered it.
“I feel our festival is inclusive and if a Muslim wants to come and enjoy Garba and Dandiya, I don’t object to it,” she said Wednesday night at Chandrapur.
She further said that those who are opposing it must have their reasons. “I haven’t studied in-depth about it but garba and dandiya are national events and celebrated even internationally, so if anyone from any community or faith wants to come and enjoy and peacefully celebrate it, I think it is alright.”
The VHP’s call for issuing guidelines for garba and dandiya events in Maharashtra and bid to restrict the entry of Muslims have sparked a political row. The RSS affiliate has proposed checking of Aadhar cards at entry and applying of tilaks to prove Hindu identity.
The VHP has argued that these Navratri festival events are more than food and dance, they are about worshipping a deity and since Muslims don’t believe in idol worship, they should not be allowed to attend.
Cabinet minister Nitesh Rane has backed the VHP’s call, saying such events have become breeding grounds for “love jihad” cases.
“If garba and dandiya become the headquarters of love jihad then how can we remain silent? It is the responsibility of VHP and Hindutva activists like us to stop love jihad,” he told the media persons.
Navratri begins on 11 October. The Maharashtra government has not officially commented on the matter so far.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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