📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Politics
BJP MLA Calls for Muslim Participation in Garba, Congress MLA Responds
✍️ Amar Ujala · Bhopal
🗓 22 Sep 2026, 03:01 PM
👁 14
During a heated debate ahead of Navratri, BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma urged inclusion of Muslims in Garba, prompting a sharp rebuttal from Congress MLA Arif Masood.
The upcoming Navratri celebrations in Madhya Pradesh have become a flashpoint for political debate over cultural participation.
BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma took to the floor at a party meeting in Bhopal, urging that Muslims be allowed to join the traditional Garba dance, saying "bring your sisters and daughters as well".
In response, Congress MLA Arif Masood fired back, calling Sharma’s remarks a form of badmash (bad behavior) and demanding that the issue be left aside.
The exchange has drawn attention from local media and community leaders, who warn that the debate could inflame communal tensions ahead of the festival.
BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma took to the floor at a party meeting in Bhopal, urging that Muslims be allowed to join the traditional Garba dance, saying "bring your sisters and daughters as well".
In response, Congress MLA Arif Masood fired back, calling Sharma’s remarks a form of badmash (bad behavior) and demanding that the issue be left aside.
The exchange has drawn attention from local media and community leaders, who warn that the debate could inflame communal tensions ahead of the festival.