06 September,2026 03:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Representational image. File pic
The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Sunday criticised the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) over its reported call to prevent Muslims from attending Garba and Dandiya events during the upcoming Navratri festival, describing the move as "unconstitutional" and questioning the Maharashtra government's response.
The VHP has announced that Muslims would not be permitted to enter Garba and Dandiya venues across Maharashtra during Navratri. The organisation has also issued guidelines for event organisers, including checking participants' identities through Aadhaar cards and applying tilak on their foreheads.
Navratri is scheduled to begin on October 11 this year.
NCP (SP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the VHP's directive could affect the state's tradition of communal coexistence.
"We live in a society where we have co-existed in peace and harmony," Crasto said, adding that the VHP's directive was likely to disturb this atmosphere.
Crasto questioned whether the Maharashtra government would remain silent while a right-wing organisation allegedly sought to dictate matters concerning law and order in the state.
He also called on the BJP-led Maharashtra government to demonstrate that the law applies equally to all and that no organisation is above it.
The NCP (SP) spokesperson urged the state government to take immediate action against what he described as the VHP's "diktat".
Crasto said the government should make its position clear and establish that decisions affecting law and order cannot be dictated by organisations outside the constitutional framework.
The remarks come ahead of the Navratri festival, which is widely associated with Garba and Dandiya events across Maharashtra. Such programmes attract large gatherings and are organised at public venues, housing societies, clubs and other locations.
The VHP's reported guidelines have therefore triggered a political response, with the NCP (SP) seeking intervention from the state government.
The party's criticism is specifically directed at what it describes as an attempt by the VHP to impose restrictions on participation based on religion, as well as the government's alleged silence on the matter.
The Maharashtra government's response to the NCP (SP)'s demand was not included in the statement issued on Sunday.
With Navratri still more than a month away, the issue has added a political dimension to preparations for Garba and Dandiya events in the state.
(With inputs from PTI)
