Uttar Pradesh Hindutva Group Calls for Ban on Muslim Involvement in Holi Festivities
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Synopsis
A Hindutva group in Uttar Pradesh has urged CM Yogi Adityanath to restrict Muslim involvement in Holi celebrations, claiming it poses a threat to the festival's harmony. The request has sparked controversy regarding communal relations in the region.
Key Takeaways
- Dharam Raksha Sangh calls for ban on Muslims in Holi.
- Claims of threats from Muslim community.
- Appeals for government action similar to Garba restrictions.
- Opposition voices highlight Holi's historical peace.
- Concerns arise over communal tensions in festivities.
New Delhi, March 2 (NationPress) A Hindutva organization located in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, has requested Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to implement limitations on Muslim participation in the Holi festivities, asserting that they should be excluded from the celebration.
The organization, known as Dharam Raksha Sangh, claimed that Holi represents a festival of love and unity for the Sanatan community, and they oppose the involvement of Muslims in selling colors or taking part in the celebrations.
“Recent events in Bareilly demonstrated individuals from the Muslim community issuing threats towards Hindus. We have resolved to bar Muslims from participating in Holi celebrations at significant pilgrimage sites such as Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, Barsana, Gokul, and Dauji, ” stated the national president of Dharam Raksha Sangh, Saurabh Gaur.
“We continue to feel a threat from their motives. They might create disruptions,” Gaur claimed.
Dharam Raksha Sangh’s National Coordinator, Acharya Badrish, labeled Muslims as “separatists and jihadists.”
“The UP government should implement a ban akin to the restrictions on Muslim participation in Garba celebrations in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. Given their objections to colors and ‘gulal,’ they have no place in our Holi festivities. They must be kept away, and the government should guarantee this,” Badrish remarked.
In the meantime, a petitioner involved in the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah controversy, Dinesh Sharma, also sent a letter to the Chief Minister written in his blood, demanding a prohibition on Muslim participation in Braj’s Holi celebrations.
He alleged that Muslims could “spit” on sweets during the celebrations. Conversely, Tanveer Ahmed, secretary of the Shahi Idgah Intazamia Committee, representing the Muslim side in the temple-mosque dispute, stated that Holi has consistently been celebrated peacefully.
“Holi in Braj has always been celebrated with love and harmony. There has never been a complaint from any community. Even esteemed Krishna devotees, such as Ras Khan and Taj Bibi, who were Muslims, are honored,” he remarked.
He added that Muslims provided shelter and food to Hindu pilgrims during the recent Maha Kumbh.
