VHP’s Garba diktat unconstitutional: NCP

The NCP (SP) on Sunday slammed the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) call to bar Muslims from participating in Garba events during Navratri, terming it “unconstitutional”, and questioned the BJP-led Maharashtra Government’s silence on the issue.

The VHP has announced that Muslims would not be allowed entry to ‘Garba’ and ‘Dandiya’ venues across the state during the upcoming Navratri festival, and issued “guidelines” for organisers to verify participants’ identities by checking their Aadhaar cards and applying ‘tilak’ on their foreheads.

The Navratri festival will begin on October 11.

Terming the VHP’s decision as unconstitutional, NCP (SP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said, “We live in a society where we have co-existed in peace and harmony. This diktat from the VHP is bound to disturb it.” Crasto, in a statement, questioned if the state Government would remain “mute” and allow the right-wing organisation to dictate law and order in Maharashtra.

“The BJP-led Government should prove to the people of Maharashtra that nobody is above the law of the land by immediately taking action against the VHP’s diktat,” he said.