Story perspectives

BJP MLA Says Muslims Can Attend Garba With ‘Sisters’

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 10:31 AM UTC · How we work

Center

Love Jihad accusation

BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma told a crowd on September 21, 2026 that Muslims may attend Garba, bringing sisters and mothers.
The report ties his comments to earlier proposals banning Muslims from Garba, indicating a communal pattern and noting the video’s authenticity was unverified.
Congress MLA Arif Masood called remarks vile and cheap, urging Sharma to change stance.
During an interview, Sharma invoked ‘Love Jihad’, accusing men of religions of entrapping women.

Right

VHP Patrols Garba

BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma told Bhopal crowd on September 21, 2026 that Muslims may attend Garba if they bring sisters and daughters.
The invitation framed Muslim participation as a choice, urging chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and tilak, and warned love-jihad would trigger youth retaliation.
VHP and Bajrang Dal said they will patrol Garba venues in Madhya Pradesh.
Kunal Chowdhary and AIMIM president Mohsin Ali Khan condemned Sharma’s remarks as hateful.

Blindspot

Volunteers from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and its youth wing Bajrang Dal said they would patrol Garba venues and gate checkpoints across Madhya Pradesh.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Right-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The demolition of the 16th-century Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992 by VHP-aligned activists, backed by the BJP and RSS, sparked riots that killed about 2,000 people. The event followed a decade of VHP campaigns, including L K Advani’s 10,000 km Rath Yatra and a 150,000-person rally. In September 2026, BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma’s Hindutva appeal echoes that same mobilising rhetoric, raising fears of renewed communal tension.

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Love Jihad accusation

BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma told a crowd on September 21, 2026 that Muslims may attend Garba, bringing sisters and mothers.
The report ties his comments to earlier proposals banning Muslims from Garba, indicating a communal pattern and noting the video’s authenticity was unverified.
Congress MLA Arif Masood called remarks vile and cheap, urging Sharma to change stance.
During an interview, Sharma invoked ‘Love Jihad’, accusing men of religions of entrapping women.

1 / 4