BJP MlA from Indore-3 Assembly constituency Usha Thakur reiterating her statement on participation of Muslim in Garba, on Friday asked the Muslim youths to stay away from Garba if they cannot recite Vande Mataram song.
In a statement that may envoke criticism from political quarters, the BJP MlA who also happened to be vice-president of the Madhya Pradesh BJP, said it was because of objections from Muslims that powers that be had deleted three stanzas from Vande Mataram songs, which had a total of five stanzas.
As third stanza of Vande Mataram song had a mention of the name of Goddess Durga, the authority concerned deleted its three stanzas and reduced the song to merely two stanzas.
After Independence only two stanzas of Vande Mataram song are being recited in the country, said the BJP MlA, adding that if Muslims have objections in reciting the national song better they should stay away from Garba.
last week, Thakur also had courted controversy over her remarks against participation of non-Hindu youths in Garba dance during the forthcoming Navratri festival. The BJP MlA amid ragging controversies over ‘love-jehad’ had asked organisers of forthcoming Navratri festival to disallow entry of non-Hindu youths in pandals where ‘garba’ or devotional dance is performed in the praise of goddess Durga.
In a statement lashed with communal overtones, the BJP MlA had told media persons that organisers of ‘garba’ should only allow Hindu youths to enter the pandals and that too on production of their voter identity cards. “It is not appropriate to let those people who do not believe in Hindu religion enter the pandals for ‘garba’ only for dancing and singing. I have appealed to organisers to allow only Hindu youths in pandals and that too on production of voter identity cards,” the MlA said.
Her statement had elicited sharp criticism form various quarters with the Congress describing her statement as an act of endorsing social policing in the society. Even the BJP distanced itself from the
controversy.