’Check Aadhaar, allow only Hindus’: Maharashtra BJP MLA Nitesh Rane flags ‘love jihad’ threat during Navratri events

Maharashtra BJP MLA Nitesh Rane has sought to restrict entry for upcoming Navratri events by religion. The Kankavli lawmaker called for organisers to check Aadhaar cards and allow only Hindus to enter dandiya venues. The remarks echo similar assertions made recently by the Sakal Hindu Samaj and Bajrang Dal officials.

“...It is the demand of the entire Hindu community that when Navaratri begin and dandia will be played, participants should be from the Hindu community…We have urged the organisers that if they check the Aadhaar cards of everyone coming in, at the entrance, and allow only Hindus, the Hindu women will not face any difficulty…” the MLA said.

He explained that officials had received ‘extensive information’ linking cases of ‘love jihad’ and religious conversion to such festivities.

“Hindu women are lied to and lured. People who do not belong to our community come to such events wearing saffron and other attires and call themselves Hindus,” Rane added.

Earlier this month the Bajrang Dal and Sakal Hindu Samaj Sangathan had sumitted a memorandum to the ADM's office calling for garba events to be given conditional permission. They have called for women performing the dance to be attired modestly and said that obscene film songs and qawwali tunes should not be played. 

According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, they have also called for entry to be restricted to just families – with venue officials scrutinising identity cards before allowing people to enter.

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The nine-day Navratri festival will start from October 15 this year and has the traditional Garba dance as one of its main features.

(With inputs from agencies)