‘Offer gaumutra at entry, Hindus will drink’: BJP leader's demand to garba organisers
A BJP leader in Madhya Pradesh has suggested that Garba event attendees sip cow urine for entry, claiming it ensures only Hindus participate.
A Madhya Pradesh BJP leader stirred up a row by urging Garba event organisers to make people sip 'gaumutra' (cow urine) before they enter the pandal. He said that this would ensure that only Hindus enter garba pandals during Navratri.
"We have requested (Garba) organisers to ensure everyone does 'aachaman' with cow urine before allowing them to enter garba pandals," BJP's Indore president Chintu Verma told reporters.
"Aadhaar card can be edited. However, if a person is a Hindu, he will enter the Garba pandal only after aachaman of cow urine and there is no question of refusing it," he added when asked about the rationale behind his demand.
According to Hindu customs, 'aachaman' means taking a sip of water while reciting mantras for purification before starting religious rituals.
The Congress questioned the BJP leader's call, terming it a new tactic of polarisation by the party just ahead of assembly elections in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir. Maharashtra is also set to elect a new assembly later this year.
Congress spokesperson Neelabh Shukla alleged that BJP leaders are silent on the plight of cow shelters and are only interested in politicising this issue.
"Raising the cow urine aachman demand is the BJP's new trick of playing polarisation politics,," he said and demanded BJP leaders sip cow urine before entering pandals and post videos on social media.
Garba Entry Controversy
The BJP leader's 'gaumutra' remarks seem to be hinting at a 2022 incident where several Muslim men were arrested for entering and causing a disturbance at a garba pandal in Madhya Pradesh.
In September 2022, seven Muslim men were caught by Bajrang Dal members while they were taking pictures at a Garba venue in Pandrinath. They were handed over police at Pandrinath police station. Police arrested them under section 151 and later released them on bail.
This incident was followed by garba organisers in the state checking Aadhaar cards of the guests to ensure that non-Hindus don't attend the event.