Madhya Pradesh tourism minister Usha Thakur has dubbed garba venues in the state as potential locations for “Love Jihad”, and recommended that IDs of all people be checked before they are allowed entry. This is purportedly to ensure Muslim youth do not enter such venues.

The Navratri festival where garba and dandiya dance events are organized for nine nights is all set to begin in a little over two weeks. But the minister fears that Muslim boys might misuse the opportunity to woo Hindu girls, a practice dubbed “Love Jihad” by right-wing Hindutva groups who are opposed to inter-faith relationships, especially where the boy is Muslim and the girl is Hindu.

Thakur, while speaking to media persons in Gwalior on Thursday, announced, “Whoever wants to attend a garba, should carry a proper identity card. No one will be permitted to enter without it,” as cultural organisations and ordinary people have noticed that “Garbas have become a medium for love jihad.”

Times of India reports that this is not the first time Thakur has stoked this controversy, and that she had first made a similar demand back in 2014, when she had advised against letting in non-Hindus as garba venues.

SabrangIndia had also previously reported how in October 2019, in an open letter to garba organisers, Bajrang Dal had said that entry of non-Hindu youths should be monitored by checking their Aadhaar cards at garba events. S Kailash, Media Convener, Bajrang Dal, had said at that time, “We have asked the event organisers to mandate Aadhaar Cards at the entry spot to identify non-Hindus entering the venues and also to avoid employing Non-Hindus as bouncers for these events.”

Then in October 2021, members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had put up posters outside Garba venues saying “entry of non-Hindus is prohibited” across 56 pandals. The VHP claimed that “non-Hindu men indulge in objectionable activities and thus their entry is being prohibited for Garba”.

Related:

No Garba for non-Hindus: Right-wing in MP

‘Check Aadhaar card to keep out Non-Hindus’: Bajrang Dal to Garba organisers

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