Amid a political row over Muslim participation in Navratri celebrations, Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has spoken in favour of keeping garba and dandiya festivities open to people from different communities.
Her remarks come days after Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane backed calls for restrictions on Muslim participation at Navratri events, bringing the issue into the centre of a wider debate over religious identity and public celebrations.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Fadnavis said she saw no problem with Muslims attending garba events if they participated respectfully and enjoyed the celebrations. “If a Muslim person also comes there and enjoys the festival properly, I do not see anything wrong in it.”
Her statement takes a different position from the exclusionary approach being advocated by some Hindu organisations and political leaders ahead of this year’s Navratri festivities.
VHP Calls For Identity Checks At Garba Events
The controversy intensified after the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) announced guidelines seeking to prevent Muslims from entering garba and dandiya venues during Navratri. The festival is scheduled to begin on October 11 this year.
The organisation has reportedly asked event organisers to verify the identities of visitors, including checking Aadhaar cards before allowing people into venues. Other proposed measures include applying tilak to participants.
Rane has publicly supported the VHP’s position. He has claimed that so-called ‘love jihad’ cases increase around festivals and argued that people who do not follow idol worship should not participate in Hindu religious programmes.
He has also supported identity verification at garba and dandiya venues and suggested that participants should recite the Hanuman Chalisa before being granted entry.
‘Love Jihad’ Claim Sparks Political Debate
The controversy also revolves around the politically sensitive term ‘love jihad’, which right-wing groups use to describe an alleged pattern in which Muslim men enter relationships with Hindu women with the intention of converting them to Islam.
The allegation has been repeatedly disputed and remains a contentious subject in Indian political discourse.
Against this backdrop, Amruta Fadnavis’ comments have added another dimension to the debate, highlighting a contrasting view that religious and cultural festivities can accommodate people from different communities when participants respect the nature of the event.
The disagreement is likely to remain a talking point as Maharashtra prepares for the upcoming Navratri season, with questions over entry rules, identity checks and community participation expected to generate further political discussion.
