A garba event in Chhattisgarh’s Durg turned tense on Wednesday night after members of the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) allegedly objected to Muslim youths attending the programme. The confrontation escalated into a scuffle on stage, during which Congress district president and former mayor Dheeraj Bakliwal was reportedly pushed.

According to a Times of India report, members of the two right-wing outfits entered the venue while the event was underway and climbed onto the stage. Videos shared on social media showed them questioning the presence of Muslim youths at the gathering.

How the Durg Garba Event Dispute Began

According to reports, the row had ensued after Adil Khan, an office-bearer of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), put out the event poster on social media stating that the entrance passes were being given free of cost.

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Later, Bakliwal said that the entry was free and there was no restriction on anyone. But VHP's Ramlochan Tiwari objected to the entry of Muslims to the celebrations and made an appeal to increase entry checks.

A case has been registered by the police on the basis of the complaint made by the organisers of the event. The police are trying to identify the accused from the CCTV footage. 

Ahmedabad Garba Event Faces Row Over Muslim Participants

The Durg incident comes amid a separate controversy over a garba event in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where an announcement asked non-Hindus and Muslims to leave the venue during Navratri.

The announcement was made on Wednesday at the ‘Rang Morla ft. Aditya Gadhvi’ event, held at Savvana Party Plot on Shela Road. A video circulating on social media showed anchor and radio jockey Akash Trivedi making the appeal from the stage while Gujarati folk singer Aditya Gadhvi was performing.

"A humble request to any 'vidharmi' (non-Hindus) and Muslims to leave the ground. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has come here to protect Sanatan Dharma," HT quoted Trivedi.

He also urged attendees to look around for people they considered suspicious and report them to a helpline.

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Gadhvi later distanced himself from the announcement, saying it was not his message, news agency PTI reported.

VHP Defends Entry Checks At Garba Events

Gujarat VHP spokesperson Hitendrasinh Rajput defended the announcement, describing it as part of a routine exercise by Bajrang Dal volunteers at garba events across the state.

"Usually, Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the VHP, visits garba events in Ahmedabad and meets the organisers, asking them to prevent non-Hindus from entering the venue. Sometimes, they also apply tilak on the foreheads of men attending the events and remove suspicious people from the ground," Rajput was quoted as saying.