"Muslims Can Visit Garba If Ok With Idol Worship": Madhya Pradesh Minister

A Madhya Pradesh minister who less than a week ago had said identity cards will be needed for entering garba pandals in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh has now "welcomed" Muslims at the pandals, if "they are fine with idol worship."

Usha Thakur, the Madhya Pradesh Minister for Culture, had issued a warning in view of what she claimed to be rising incidents of "love jihad" in the state, saying that all participants must now carry identity proof in order to enter garba venues.

Now she has said Muslims will be welcomed at garba pandals if their sacred scripture allows them idol worship.

"Muslims are most welcome to garba pandals, provided they have faith in idol worship and their holy scripture allows them idol worship. They aren't being invited to garba, but if they are so high in faith for garbas, then they should have faith in idol worship, which should be allowed by their sacred scripture as well," Ms Thakur told reporters.

"Also, Muslim men who have faith in pursuing idol worship will only be welcomed at garba venues if they come along with their female family members," the minister said.

Earlier, she had told reporters in Gwalior that "garba pandals have become the medium for love jihad."

Garba is a traditional dance performed during the nine-day Hindu festival of Navratri.

"People in general and all allied organisations are aware that garba pandals have become a major medium for love jihad. That is why we want to ensure that no one enters a garba pandal by hiding his identity. This is an advice as well as a warning," Ms Thakur had said.

"Love jihad" is a term used by certain radical Hindu groups, suggesting that Muslim men often seek to deceive Hindu women through marriage and convert them to Islam. Under the new anti-conversion law, interfaith couples must give two months' notice to a district official before getting married.

Earlier, in 2014, when Ms Thakur was a legislator, she had stirred a controversy, saying that she wanted to block Muslims from attending garba. She also took the initiative of drafting a letter to all garba organisers in her constituency and asking them to ban Muslim men from participating in the dance ritual and even stop them from interacting with women.

She had reportedly claimed that each year during garba, more than four lakh Hindu girls are converted to Islam, though there are no official statistics to corroborate her claims.