Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA’s Garba Remarks Spark Political Row in Madhya Pradesh

On September 21, 2026, BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma (Huzur constituency, Bhopal) addressed a public gathering during the lead-up to Navratri. He added that “our boys are also ready” and that participants could join “permanently” if they embraced the customs. Sharma reiterated the comments on September 22, 2026, describing Garba as a worship of Goddess Jagdamba rather than entertainment and accusing Muslim men of “love jihad” and teasing Hindu girls.

CNN-News18

Garba, a traditional dance performed during the nine-night Navratri festival, has become a high-visibility cultural event across India. In recent years, right-wing groups and some politicians have argued that Muslim participation threatens Hindu cultural space, invoking “love jihad” and calling for identity checks such as Aadhaar verification or mandatory tilak application. The debate intensified in Madhya Pradesh and other states ahead of the 2026 Navratri season.

Muslims barred from Mumbai garba event, BJP MLA lays down tilak, family rules

• He warned that any attempt to turn Garba into a “spectacle” or to engage in “love jihad” would meet a “ready” youth response.

The Hindu

• Arif Masood, Congress MLA from Bhopal Central, condemned Sharma’s language as “vile and cheap,” urging him to “mend his ways” and stop “spreading such filthy remarks.”

Hindustan Times

• Mohsin Ali Khan, president of the Madhya Pradesh unit of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), said Sharma’s comments “work to divide the country.” He called on Sharma to read the Constitution and consult senior BJP leaders such as Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shahnawaz Hussain before speaking on inter-faith matters.

Bring sisters, chant Jai Shri Ram: BJP MLA's remarks on Muslims attending garba spark row CNN-News18ThePrintThe Hindu'Bring your sisters too, our boys are ready': BJP MLA's garba remark on Muslim men sparks row "Bring Your Sisters": BJP MLA's Remark On Muslims At Garba Triggers Row Hindustan Times

The remarks drew swift rebuke from opposition parties and civil-society observers. Congress and AIMIM leaders framed the statements as communal provocation. In Maharashtra, BJP legislators Sanjay Upadhyay and former MP Gopal Shetty made parallel remarks demanding that Muslims wear a tilak and worship the goddess to attend Garba, reflecting a broader pattern of exclusionary rhetoric.

Muslims barred from Mumbai garba event, BJP MLA lays down tilak, family rules

• The video of Sharma’s speech circulated widely on social media, but Hindustan Times reported that it could not independently verify the video’s authenticity.

ThePrint

• While multiple outlets reproduced Sharma’s statements, exact wording varied slightly across reports, leading to minor discrepancies in phrasing (e.g., “our boys are also ready” vs. “our boys are ready too”).

CNN-News18

• “This time there is no entry for Muslims in the garba. Whoever wants to come should come with his wife, sister and daughter, apply tilak and worship the goddess,” — Sanjay Upadhyay

Muslims barred from Mumbai garba event, BJP MLA lays down tilak, family rules

• “When we say that the ancestors of Muslims and Christians were Hindus, they should apply tilak,” — Gopal Shetty

Muslims barred from Mumbai garba event, BJP MLA lays down tilak, family rules

• “Why do Muslim boys alone want to come to Garba? Bring your sisters and daughters along from home too, our boys are also ready.” — Later

'Bring your sisters too, our boys are ready': BJP MLA's garba remark on Muslim men sparks row

No formal legislative or judicial action has been announced regarding the controversy. Organisers of upcoming Garba events in Madhya Pradesh and neighboring states have indicated heightened security measures, but specific policy changes remain pending.

'Bring your sisters, daughters...our horses are ready': BJP MLA's remark on garba participation sparks row