The Hindu Utsav Samiti has asked the Bhopal district administration in Madhya Pradesh to restrict the entry of non-Hindu men at upcoming garba celebrations by checking their Aadhaar cards, reported The Indian Express on Friday. They made the demand at a peace committee meeting, saying it will stop non-Hindu men from exploiting women during the festival.
The district administration has not committed to any such move yet.
Samiti President Kailash Begwani told The Indian Express that they often get complaints about Hindu girls being sexually exploited after the festival. “They [non-Hindus] befriend Hindu girls during practice sessions and then entice them during the festival,’’ he said.
When asked why Aadhaar card and not any other identity proof, Begwani said it was “not easy to make a fake Aadhaar card, unlike other documents like voter identity cards”.
The Hindu Utsav Samiti, which has more than 6,000 members, organises events during major Hindu festivals such as Holi and Dusshera in Bhopal.
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