Nitesh Rane backs VHP call to restrict Muslim entry at Navratri events

Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane has supported the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s call to prevent Muslims from attending Navratri garba and dandiya events in the state, alleging that cases described by right-wing groups as “love jihad” rise during religious festivals.

In an interview with PTI Videos on Monday, the BJP leader proposed that people seeking entry to the festivities should undergo identity verification and recite the Hanuman Chalisa.

“Love jihad” is a term used by right-wing activists to allege that Muslim men enter relationships with Hindu women with the intention of converting them. The expression is contested, and such claims have frequently generated political and communal controversy.

The VHP had earlier announced that Muslims would not be permitted to enter garba and dandiya venues across Maharashtra during the forthcoming Navratri festival, which begins on 11 October.

The organisation also issued guidelines asking event organisers to verify participants through their Aadhaar cards and apply a tilak to their foreheads.

Supporting the demand, Rane argued that people who do not practise idol worship should not participate in Hindu religious events. He said attendees should disclose their identities and chant the Hanuman Chalisa before being granted entry.

The minister also addressed calls to restrict the use of DJ sound systems during the forthcoming Ganesh festival, saying regulations governing noise should be enforced equally across religious communities.

If DJs were prohibited during Ganesh celebrations, similar restrictions should apply to Eid processions, he said. Rane alleged that loud music had been played until late at night during recent Eid processions, while maintaining that Hindus complied with court directions and noise-control rules.

Rane also criticised Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray over reported comments concerning allegedly vulgar performances during Kanwar Yatra events in parts of Uttar Pradesh.

He questioned why criticism was directed at Hindu practices while controversial statements made by Muslim clerics did not receive similar attention. The minister alleged that attempts were being made to malign Hinduism and Sanatan Dharma.

Turning to Rahul Gandhi’s “Chhatron ki Goonj” student outreach campaign, Rane accused the Congress leader of invoking Manusmriti and Hindu traditions to discredit Hindu culture. He claimed voters would respond to the Congress in the elections.

Rane separately targeted Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray over the death of former celebrity manager Disha Salian. He questioned why Thackeray’s lawyer had submitted an intervention application before the court if the legislator had no association with the case.

On 2 September, the Bombay High Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate Salian’s death. The court also criticised the Mumbai Police for failing to register a first information report for six years, observing that the earlier investigation raised more questions than it answered.

Rane claimed the matter concerned the alleged gang rape and murder of a woman rather than politics, and said all aspects of the case would now emerge through the investigation.

With PTI inputs