New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh culture minister Usha Thakur on Thursday said that Garba pandals are becoming the breeding grounds for love jihad and also warned the organizers against giving entry to ‘unidentified people in festive celebrations.

“Garba pandals have become a medium to promote love jihad, therefore awareness and precautionary steps are needed to stem the problem in the bud”, the minister said.

The Minister, when asked about people with fake identities sneaking into the Garba celebrations, said that it was essential to stop such malpractice.

She also sought to draw a red line for Garba pandals in the state, saying that no one without a valid identity card should be given entry into the festive celebrations.

Her remarks come in wake of a sudden spurt in love jihad cases. Lately, multiple cases have emerged where girls from the majority community are either coaxed or deceived to marry and then persuaded and threatened to convert to Islam.

This is not the first time that the state government has tightened the norms for Garba festivities. Last year, the state police briefly arrested 4 Muslim youths from the Oxford college Garba event in Indore after right-wing groups accused them of indulging in love jihad.

Speaking on the survey of madrasas, the MP Minister said that the process of screening is almost done and soon a list will be issued. She said that all those madrasas operating without government sanction will be banned.

“No Non-Hindus” Posters Put Up By VHP At Garba Venues

In 2021, also there was this issue raised by VHP. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has put up posters prohibiting the entry of “non-Hindus” in the pandals where the Garba dance is performed hailing Goddess Durga during the ongoing Navratri festival in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district to avoid the repeat of “controversial incidents” of the last year, a functionary of the organization said on Monday.

The VHP said it has placed the posters stating the “entry of non-Hindus is prohibited” across 56 pandals.

Chandan Sharma, VHP’s Dharm Prachar Vibhag district secretary for Ratlam, said non-Hindu men indulge in objectionable activities by entering the Garba pandals where dance is performed hailing Goddess Durga.

“The entry of non-Hindu youths had led to controversies at many places last year. By putting up such posters, non-Hindu people are being told not to enter the Garba and Durga pandals so that such incidents can be avoided,” he said.

Mr. Sharma said VHP workers are placing such posters with the consent of the festival organizing committees.

References:

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