Won't allow Muslims at Garba, says right-wing group in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: A right-wing group on Sunday said it had issued a "diktat" barring entry of Muslims at Garba events during the upcoming Navratri festival at Mandvi town in Gujarat's Kutch district to prevent "love jihad" incidents.

"We have issued a diktat barring the entry of Muslims at Garba events in Mandvi," said president of Hindu Yuva Sangthan, Raghuvirsinh Jadeja, who is also chief of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of the Mandvi tehsil unit.

"Incidents of love jihad where Muslim boys lure and marry our Hindu girls happen at Garba. Our only aim is to protect our girls," Jadeja told PTI.

"We are getting a good response from the people and if the people from other regions respond to this movement, then we will spread it to their regions as well," he said.

The organisation will ensure that any person entering the Garba pandal has a tilak on his forehead, and 'Gaumutra' (cow-urine) will be sprayed on him, he said.

"If a person does not apply tilak and hesitates to be sprayed with Gaumutra, he will not be allowed to go inside.

"My people would do patrolling outside and inside Garba events and if they find any non-Hindus, they would exclude them," he said.

When asked how will they identify non-Hindus, he said, "We can identify such elements."