Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh BJP MLA Usha Thakur has again raised concerns about the participation of non-Hindu men in Garba events during Navratri and linked the issue to what she describes as “love jihad.”
In remarks reported on September 23, 2026, Thakur claimed that around 4.5 lakh Hindu girls leave with people from other faiths every year and that approximately nine lakh children are born the following year, which she said contributes to demographic change. She did not provide official data or a publicly verifiable source for these figures.
Claims About Garba Participation
Thakur also alleged that some men conceal their identities before entering Garba venues, including by applying a tilak or wearing a kalava, and then use the events to establish relationships with Hindu women.
She has made similar allegations in the past. In 2014, Thakur claimed that about four lakh Hindu girls were converting to Islam every year during the Garba season, but contemporary reporting noted that no official statistics were provided to substantiate the figure.
In 2022, while serving as Madhya Pradesh's Culture Minister, she again described Garba venues as a potential means of “love jihad” and called for identity checks at entry points. The state government subsequently asked Garba organisers to check identity documents at venues during Navratri.
What Is “Love Jihad”?
The expression “love jihad” is used by some Hindu nationalist organisations and political figures to describe an alleged pattern in which Muslim men deceptively pursue Hindu women with the purpose of conversion. It is a contested term, and claims about organised activity in individual cases require evidence.
In the case of the 4.5 lakh and nine lakh figures, available reporting says Thakur did not provide official data to support the numbers.
Political Debate Over Garba Events
Thakur's comments have emerged amid a wider political debate in Madhya Pradesh over who should be allowed to participate in Garba and Dandiya events.
Her remarks have previously generated criticism from political opponents, while BJP representatives have at different times emphasized identity checks as a security measure rather than a blanket restriction based on religion. In 2014, BJP state president Nandkumar Singh Chauhan said the party was not against members of any particular community attending Garba, while supporting identity verification for security purposes.
The controversy continues to raise questions about festival security, individual freedom, interfaith relationships and the use of communal claims in political debate.
Claims Require Evidence
The allegations concerning demographic change and the conduct of individuals at Garba events should be examined separately from the broader question of who attends Hindu festivals.
Interfaith relationships can involve many different circumstances, and allegations of deception, coercion or forced conversion should be established through specific evidence in individual cases rather than assumed from a person's religion.
Thakur's statements are therefore best understood as political claims and allegations, while the numerical figures she cited remain unsupported by official data in the reporting reviewed for this article.
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