In 2013, then Indore-3 BJP MLA Usha Thakur, had suggested making Aadhar and other ID proofs mandatory for entry into Garba venues to prevent entry of non-Hindus (particularly Muslim youths).Nine years later, when she became the state’s tourism and culture minister, Thakur had asked the garba pandal heads to not allow entry to visitors into the venues without proper ID proofs. While maintaining that what she was saying was salaah (advice) and naseehat (instruction) both, Thakur had in 2022, said that the step was essential to prevent Hindu girls from falling prey to the menace of Love Jihad.Five years prior to it, in 2017, an umbrella group of Hindu festival organisers in Bhopal, the Hindu Utsav Samiti too had demanded from the district administration in the state capital to make possession of Aadhar document necessary as ID proof for entry into the garba pandals to prevent the entry of non-Hindus (particularly Muslims) at those venues.Just after then minister Usha Thakur’s statements in 2022, young men hailing from the minority community were reportedly attacked by alleged activists of Hindu right wing outfit Bajrang Dal at garba venues in six places of two cities. While five of those incidents happened in Indore, one incident was reported from the adjoining Ujjain.While the attacks on minority community youths happened in Pandarinath, Rawji Bazar Khajrana, Dwarkapuri and MG Road area, the incident in Ujjain was reported in Madhav Nagar area. In Ujjain, not only did the alleged activists of the saffron outfit attack the minority community youths in Ujjain, but also indulged in scuffle with the on duty cops.In September 2022 only, some minority community youths were reportedly caught by Bajrang Dal activists, while those youths were clicking pictures of young Hindu girls at one of the garba venues in Indore’s Pandarinath area. Those youths were handed over to the local police.Garbas are very popular during Navratri across MP, particularly in western and south western parts of the state, including the Indore and Ujjain region.
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