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VHP restrictions on Navratri celebrations in Maharashtra

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-07 07:44 UTC → 2026-09-09 12:11 UTC · added removed

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has issued guidelines in Maharashtra to bar Muslims from participating in Garba and Dandiya events during the upcoming Navratri festival. To enforce these restrictions, the VHP has instructed organizers to verify the Hindu identity of participants through Aadhaar card checks and the application of a sandalwood tilak on foreheads. VHP spokesperson Shriraj Nair stated the decision is based on the religious nature of the festival, asserting that because Navratri involves goddess worship, those who do not practice idol worship should not participate. Nair described these measures as ‘precautionary’ to protect the cultural character of Hindu traditions. The directive has faced criticism sparked significant political division in Maharashtra. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, head of the Republican Party of India (Athawale), opposed the stance, stating that excluding citizens from opposition cultural events based on faith is unconstitutional and emphasizing that the Constitution guarantees equal rights. He called for different religious communities to work together. In contrast, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nitesh Rane endorsed the VHP's demand, citing concerns regarding ‘love jihad’. Rane argued that those who do not practice idol worship should not participate in Hindu religious events and supported mandatory identity checks. He further suggested that participants should chant the Hanuman Chalisa to gain entry. Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh, who described have criticized the move as ‘unconstitutional cultural policing’ that threatens social harmony. Other political figures Figures from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) have also criticized the restrictions, noting they noted that such restrictions contradict traditions of multi-religious festival participation.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-09 12:11 UTC VHP restrictions on Navratri celebrations in Maharashtra
  2. 2026-09-07 07:44 UTC VHP restrictions on Navratri celebrations in Maharashtra

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