Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Indian Express, VHP Clash Over Muslim Participation in Navaratri
The Vishva Hindu Parishad reportedly said Muslims should not attend some Navaratri celebrations.
Girish Kuber and Shubhangi Khapre disagreed with that idea during an Indian Express interview.
They said many Navaratri events are large public programs with music, dancing and ticketed entry.
Kuber called the VHP’s position extreme and asked whether the government should act.
The article presenting this debate argues that Navaratri is still mainly a Hindu religious celebration.
It says entertainment at Garba and Dandiya events does not remove their religious meaning.
The two sides therefore disagree about whether these events are private religious gatherings or public cultural programs.
The article also criticizes the BJP and other commentators for how they discuss Hindu festivals and Muslim participation.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad reportedly called for Muslims to be barred from Navaratri and Garba events in Maharashtra and other states.
In a September 22 Indian Express interview, Girish Kuber and Shubhangi Khapre criticized the VHP’s position and compared it to a “fatwa” and “Hindu Taliban.”
Khapre argued that Navaratri celebrations have become large commercial and recreational events rather than only private religious observances.
Kuber said excluding Muslims was unjustified and urged government intervention, while also criticizing the Bharatiya Janata Party and its leaders.
The article defending the VHP argues that public Navaratri programs remain religious Hindu events and should not be treated as universally open gatherings.
- Who
- The Vishva Hindu Parishad, Indian Express journalists Girish Kuber and Shubhangi Khapre, and politicians including Devendra Fadnavis and Nitesh Rane.
- What
- A dispute over the reported call to exclude Muslims from Navaratri and Garba events, and over criticism of that position.
- When
- The cited Indian Express interview took place on September 22, identified in the article as a Tuesday.
- Where
- The issue concerns Navaratri events in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, as well as Gujarat and other states.
- Why
- The disagreement centers on whether public Navaratri celebrations are primarily Hindu religious observances or commercial and cultural events open to people of different faiths.
Critics of the VHP Position
Defenders of Hindu Religious Autonomy
Whether Muslims should be admitted
Critics of the VHP Position
Girish Kuber and Shubhangi Khapre argued that Muslims should not be excluded from large public Navaratri events, which they described as commercialized celebrations.
Defenders of Hindu Religious Autonomy
The article argues that organizers may limit participation in religious Hindu events and that attendance is not an automatic entitlement.
Nature of Navaratri events
Critics of the VHP Position
Critics described many celebrations as public, ticketed programs centered on entertainment, dancing and social participation.
Defenders of Hindu Religious Autonomy
Defenders said Garba and Dandiya remain devotional activities connected to worship of Hindu deities, even when music and entertainment are included.
Role of the government
Critics of the VHP Position
Kuber and Khapre appealed to Devendra Fadnavis and the state government to intervene against exclusionary policies.
Defenders of Hindu Religious Autonomy
The article argues that Navaratri celebrations are not government programs and that state intervention should not compel religious organizers to include everyone.
- Organization at issue
- Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP)
- Interview publication
- The Indian Express
- Interview participants
- Girish Kuber and Shubhangi Khapre
- Religious celebration
- Navaratri, including Garba and Dandiya programs
- Locations mentioned
- Maharashtra, Mumbai, Gujarat and other states
- Political figures mentioned
- Devendra Fadnavis and Nitesh Rane
- Central dispute
- Religious autonomy versus inclusive participation in public celebrations