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Maharashtra State Minority Commission Chairman reacted to VHP’s “no Muslims” call, saying festivals connect people, not divide them.
Volunteers from the VHP and its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, will actively patrol venues and gate checkpoints across the state to monitor compliance. Representational image/PTI
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has decided to bar Muslims from participating in Garba and Dandiya events across Maharashtra during next month’s Navratri festival. Navratri will begin on October 11.
The VHP has also issued guidelines for event organisers to verify the Hindu identity of participants. The measures include checking the Aadhaar cards of attendees and applying tilak on their foreheads.
VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said Garba, Dandiya, Durga Puja, Navratri and other Hindu festivals should be attended with devotion and respect for Hindu traditions. He also alleged that some anti-social and jihadi elements had misbehaved with women at Garba events in recent years and called for identity checks at entry.
Reacting to the VHP’s decision, Bansal said, “Whether it is Garba, Dandiya, Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Navratri, or Ganesh Puja, anyone who attends these festivals should do so with a spirit of devotion and faith, following Hindu traditions. Over the past few years, certain Islamic jihadi elements, anti-social individuals, and people with a perverted or anti-Hindu mindset were caught during Garba events behaving inappropriately with our mothers, sisters, and daughters.”
“Their mindset is to disrupt events, create obstacles, and ruin them with their jihadi ideology. People should enter after getting their identity checked. This is a festival of faith, so only those who hold faith should attend. There is no malice toward any specific religion here. If someone chants praises of the Goddess, worships her, accepts her charanamrit, and comes with true faith and devotion, then they are certainly welcome, we have no issue. But they must declare it openly, not come in disguise,” he added.
Bansal also said there was no objection to people from any religion attending the events if they genuinely participated with faith and devotion, but they should not come in disguise.
Festivals Connect People, Not Divide Them
Reacting to the VHP’s “no Muslims” call for Maharashtra Navratri events, Maharashtra State Minority Commission Chairman Pyare Khan said, “Everyone has the right to celebrate festivals of one’s faith. But saying that Muslims will not be allowed…Several organisations invite Muslims too. Festivals connect people, not divide them. If someone doesn’t want to call them, don’t call them. Nobody goes there forcibly anyway. People go when they are called with love…”
In Kolkata, TMC MP Sougata Roy also criticised the VHP’s guidelines for the upcoming Navratri and Durga Puja events.
He said, “…I condemn this. Is this possible? A country with so many languages, so many religions, and so many castes? Can all this happen there? The Vishwa Hindu Parishad is spreading Hindu communalism in Hindustan. We should stand against it.”
Quick Answers
Ask News18The VHP is implementing measures such as checking Aadhaar cards, applying tilak on foreheads, and requiring participation in aarti and traditional worship to verify Hindu identity and restrict Muslim participation in Garba and Dandiya events in Maharashtra. VHP and Bajrang Dal volunteers will also monitor venues.
Ask News18About the Author
Aanchal is the Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than four years of experience in national and international news. My work involves covering breaking news, politics, current affairs and developments…Read More
September 06, 2026, 09:16 IST
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