Amid a controversy over the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) call to restrict the entry of Muslims to Garba and Dandiya events during Navratri celebrations in Maharashtra – a call backed by minister Nitesh Rane – Amruta Fadnavis said she believed the festival should be inclusive and would not object to a Muslim person attending and enjoying such events.

“I feel our festival is inclusive. If a Muslim person comes and enjoys Garba and leaves, I would not find anything wrong with it,” Amruta Fadnavis said.

Refusing to comment on the remarks made by Nitesh Rane, Amruta Fadnavis said, “He must have said this after thinking something; I do not want to get into its depths. Garba is a national celebration, and it is even celebrated internationally, so if anyone from any community or faith wants to come and see this peacefully without creating any chaos, I think that is alright. But I haven’t studied what other reasons there are behind it.”

Amruta Fadnavis’s remarks come against the backdrop of guidelines issued by the VHP asking organisers of Garba and Dandiya events in Maharashtra to restrict entry of Muslims into such events, while also tightening rules for those attending – such as verifying attendees through Aadhaar cards and applying tilak on their foreheads as measures to establish their Hindu identity.

“Navratri is not just about songs and dance. The festival is about worshipping the Goddess. Why should Muslims, who are against idol worship, participate in the festival?” Nair said, adding that the guidelines were precautionary measures.

Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nitesh Rane welcomed the VHP demand while claiming that some people enter Garba events using Hindu names and target Hindu women under what he described as “love jihad”.

“If Garba and Navratri continue to become headquarters of ‘love jihad’, then it is the responsibility of the VHP and Hindutva activists like us to stop it,” Rane said.

Story continues below this ad

Meanwhile, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar supported Amruta Fadnavis’s statement and said, “What Bhabhi ji has said is absolutely true. I welcome and congratulate her for her vision of taking everyone in the state along together. But I have one demand: if your views are truly like this, then will Amruta ji also ask the Chief Minister to remove Nitesh Rane from the position of minister, because he repeatedly makes inflammatory statements against the Muslim community? This is my question to her.”