A garba event at the Civil Lines hockey ground in Durg was disrupted on Wednesday night after Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad workers objected to the alleged presence of Muslim youths, leading to a scuffle on stage and the reported shoving of Congress city district president and former mayor Dheeraj Bakliwal.
Videos circulated on social media after the incident showed arguments, pushing and a brief melee at the venue. Police have registered a case on a complaint from the organising committee and are examining CCTV footage to identify those involved, according to the report.
The dispute reportedly began after NSUI office-bearer Adil Khan shared a promotional poster for the event on social media. The post mentioned that entry passes were free. Members of the right-wing organisations later reached the venue and went on stage, where one of the event’s opponents addressed the gathering and objected to Muslims entering the garba programme.
The organisers asked the group not to disrupt the event, after which the exchange escalated. In one video, a man appears to shove Bakliwal before others at the venue intervene. Bakliwal later said the event was free and open to anyone attending with faith and respect for the festival. He accused some people of deliberately disrupting the programme.
VHP functionary Ramlochan Tiwari said the organisation opposed the participation of Muslim youths in garba and demanded tighter entry checks. The competing claims place the management of access to a public cultural event at the centre of the dispute, while the police investigation is expected to establish what occurred during the confrontation.
The case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to voluntarily causing hurt, rioting and the use of obscene words or acts in a public place. Additional Superintendent of Police Manishankar Chandra said a dispute had occurred during the garba programme and that further action would follow after police examined video footage and CCTV recordings. Hindu organisations have also threatened further protest if police do not act on their complaint.
