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Amruta Fadnavis Backs Muslim Entry to Garba Amid Row

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Amruta Fadnavis says nothing is wrong if Muslims come to watch or enjoy Garba, breaking with BJP leader Nitesh Rane and a VHP appeal to bar them.

Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has said there is nothing wrong if a Muslim person comes to watch or enjoy Garba, wading into a growing row over religious restrictions at Navratri celebrations. Speaking to reporters in Chandrapur, she argued that Garba should not be confined to a single community and should remain a festival that brings everyone together.

She made the remarks after attending a Rudrabhishek programme at Chandrapur's largest Mahashivling temple. Asked about the controversy, she said festivals and celebrations are meant to be shared by all, and that stopping anyone from watching or taking part in Garba is not right. It is an event in which everyone can join, she said.

Her comments set her apart from the position taken by BJP leader Nitesh Rane, whose statement opposing the entry of Muslims into Garba events triggered the dispute. Rane backed an appeal by the Vishva Hindu Parishad seeking a ban on Muslims taking part in Garba and Dandiya programmes across the state during Navratri. The VHP guidelines call for no Muslim entry and make Aadhaar identification and a tilak mandatory at venues. The intervention sharpened the political debate around the festival.

Fadnavis framed her view around inclusion rather than restriction. Celebrating festivals is important, she said, because they bring happiness and energy to society. But she paired that with a caution: public events must be mindful of others.

Rules for public celebrations

While defending open participation, Fadnavis stressed that public gatherings should follow the rules set for them. A community's celebration should not cause trouble to anyone else, she said, and programmes held in public spaces must stay within the limits laid down for them. Faith and religious observance, she added, can be practised within one's own home, but in public places compliance with the rules is necessary.

She also addressed the use of DJs at public functions, a recurring flashpoint during Navratri. There is no call for a complete ban on DJs, she said, but the volume and the timing must adhere to the prescribed norms. People should recognise their own responsibility during festivities, she added, because loud sound can disturb residents living nearby. Events, in her view, should be conducted with restraint.

Respecting everyone's feelings

During the same interaction with the media in Chandrapur, Fadnavis touched on other issues, including the controversy over a statement by Sambhaji Bhide concerning women. She returned repeatedly to the theme of following rules in public events and social matters.

Everyone's feelings in society deserve respect, she said, and no celebration should be allowed to create an atmosphere that gives rise to a dispute. Her message balanced two ideas she kept coming back to: that festivals should be open and shared, and that they should be conducted responsibly so that they do not become a source of friction.

Amrita Fadnavis, Garba controversy, Muslim entry Garba, Nitesh Rane, VHP Garba guidelines, Navratri Maharashtra, Chandrapur, Devendra Fadnavis

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