By Our Special Correspondent
During these Navratras, no one will be allowed to enter Garba Pandals in Madhya Pradesh without valid identity proofs, State Culture and Tourism Minister Usha Thakur said in Gwalior on Thursday.
Thakur said the decision was taken to prevent people from entering garba stages after hiding their identities to indulge in 'love jihad'.
“Those who come to garba pandals should have valid identity proofs. Without proper ID proofs, entry will not be allowed,” she said.
“Garbas used to be a big way of conducting love jihad activities in the past, but now all the relevant stakeholders are wary of it. Identity cards will be checked to ensure that no one enters the venues with real identity hidden,” it said, urging event organizers to strictly implement the decision.
This is not the first time that Thakur has entered into such a controversy. When she was a BJP MLA from Indore-III seat in Indore district in 2013, before Navratri celebrations, she sought to prevent the entry of non-Hindus, especially Muslims, into garba venues. Muslim men from seducing Hindu girls and women.
She demanded that Aadhaar and other ID proofs be made mandatory to enter venues "pretending to be Hindus".
In 2017, Hindu Utsav Samiti, an umbrella group of Hindu festival organizers in Bhopal, asked the district administration to confiscate Aadhaar cards, which are required as proof of identity, to prevent entry of non-Hindus into festival venues.
Responding to Thakur's suggestions, state Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja said that measures to prevent entry of people who hide their real identity in garba events is acceptable and naming the venues as love jihad centers is deplorable.
Garbas, an integral part of Navratri celebrations in many parts of India, are performed across Madhya Pradesh, but are most popular in the Malwa-Nimar region, including Indore and surrounding districts.
Comments