Barely days after a BJP MLA said that Muslim men should not be allowed to enter garba venues and that their identity cards be checked, the local administration in Indore and Ujjain cities on Friday instructed garba organisers to ensure that men are allowed entry only after checking their photo-ID cards.
This is the first time that such instructions have gone out.
Ostensibly, the administration claims this is to stop entry of ?unauthorised participants and criminal elements?. But it didn?t define what it meant by these terms.
Additional District Magistrate (Indore) Ashish Singh said these instructions have been issued ?purely from the law and order point of view?. City Superintendent of Police (Ujjain) Vijay Dawar said identity cards will be compulsory for participants as well as the audience. He said organisers have been told to wind up the programme by 11 pm and keep noise levels low.
In Ujjain, organisers were also told to ensure that only pass-holders are allowed entry as audience. In Indore, the largest city in Madhya Pradesh, organisers have been told to install CCTV cameras but there are no instructions on passes for audience. The male participants will have to sport identity cards all the time.
This unprecedented step by the local administration comes after Indore MLA Usha Thakur linked ?love jihad? to participation of Muslim youths in garbas.