• Source:JND
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The Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan member entered the rehearsal venue for the Miss Rishikesh pageant on Friday, halted the proceedings, and objected to both the event and the attire worn by the participants, claiming it was “against the culture of Uttarakhand” and “Sanatan Dharma.”

The video of the incident went viral on social media, showing one of the activists in a heated exchange with the participants. In the video, the man can be heard saying, “clothes that are against the sanskriti (culture) of Uttarakhand.” However, he faced pushback from the participants and coordinators, who responded, “culture cannot be defined through clothes.”

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One contestant can be heard saying, “Close the shop where cigarettes and alcohol are sold, close the shop where ‘such clothes’ are sold… You cannot record our video without our consent. So sorry sir, we cannot follow you. You are no one to tell me this. Who are you?”

According to a report by the Indian Express, the event was organized by Lions Club Royal. Its director told the publication that three individuals entered the venue around 2 pm, objected to the participants’ attire, and demanded that the rehearsal be stopped.

The organizers added that the event was part of Diwali celebrations and that no objections had been raised prior to this incident.

Soon after, one of the show coordinators responded that the program was being conducted with the consent of the contestants’ parents. Despite this, Bhatnagar persisted, stating, “This cannot happen in the city of pilgrimages.” The police arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control.

The “Miss Rishikesh” pageant was held as scheduled on Saturday. According to the report, authorities received no complaints regarding the rehearsal incident, and the dispute was resolved between the two parties.

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The Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan, registered in January 2017, describes itself on its website as an organization opposing “religious conversions” and supporting laws against “love jihad.”