With Navaratri approaching, Madhya Pradesh minister Usha Thakur has reportedly said that no one will be allowed in Garba pandals without ID cards.
“People in general and all organisations are aware that Garba pandals have become a major medium for love jihad. That is why it becomes mandatory that no one enters a Garba pandal by hiding their identity,” Thakur said, adding that it should be taken as “advice as well as warning.”
The state unit of the Congress was quick to lash out at Thakur and accused her of “deliberately creating an atmosphere of hatred and fear for electoral gain.” However, the BJP played down such allegations, saying that the move was a mere “precautionary measure.”
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Thakur’s comments are perhaps not surprising, given that she has long been a vocal opponent of ‘love jihad’: in 2014, she had urged Hindu organisations to bar non-Hindus from entering Garba venues. Back then, she had claimed that lakhs of Hindu girls had converted via ‘love jihad’ at Garba venues during Navratri festivities.
For those unaware, Garba is a traditional dance performed during the nine-day-long Navratri festival, which begins on September 26 this year.
Last year, however, festivities in Madhya Pradesh were hampered after police arrested four Muslim youths who had been accused of promoting ‘love jihad’ by right-wing activities.