A rehearsal for the Miss Rishikesh pageant on Friday was disrupted when members of the Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan entered the venue and objected to the event, claiming it was “against the culture of Uttarakhand” and “Sanatan Dharma.”
“One of the group members, Raghav Bhatnagar, began objecting to the clothes worn by the participants,” Dhiraj Makhija, director of Lions Club Royal, which has organised the pageant told The Indian Express. Makhija said that three members of the group entered around 2 pm while contestants and choreographers were rehearsing.
A purported video of the incident has since gone viral, showing Bhatnagar confronting the contestants and saying they were wearing “clothes that are against the culture of Uttarakhand.”
Participants confront activists
In the video, some participants are seen standing their ground, confronting Bhatnagar and objecting to being filmed by the group. Bhatnagar is heard saying he would not allow the event to continue and told the participants to “hold it at your homes.”
One contestant can be heard saying, “Close the shop where cigarettes and alcohol are sold, close the shop where ‘such clothes’ are sold… You cannot record our video without our consent. So sorry sir, we cannot follow you. You are no one to tell me this. Who are you?”
{{/usCountry}}One contestant can be heard saying, “Close the shop where cigarettes and alcohol are sold, close the shop where ‘such clothes’ are sold… You cannot record our video without our consent. So sorry sir, we cannot follow you. You are no one to tell me this. Who are you?”
{{/usCountry}}Soon after, one of the show coordinators replied that the programme was being conducted with the consent of the contestants’ parents. Despite the pushback, Bhatnagar persisted, saying, “This cannot happen in the city of pilgrimages.”
Watch video here
Later, Bhatnagar talked to the reporters and said a ramp walk in western clothing was against Rishikesh’s identity and Sanatan values. “Sanatan Dharma teaches women to dress modestly. Such events hurt social and religious sentiments,” as reported by India Today.
Dhiraj Makhija said that the club is organising the pageant for five years and has never faced such objections before. “We are providing a platform for local women so they can compete in larger beauty pageants,” he added, IE reported.
However, the English daily's report said that the The “Miss Rishikesh” pageant was held as scheduled on Saturday. The report cited cops and said that the authorities received no complaint regarding the rehearsal incident, and the “dispute” was resolved between the two parties.
The Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan, registered in January 2017, describes itself as an organisation opposing “religious conversions” and supporting laws against “love jihad,” according to its website.