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Mathura: The Dharam Raksha Sangh, a Hindu nationalist outfit based in Vrindavan, has issued a statement expressing distrust towards the Muslim community and alleging the possibility of disturbances during the Holi celebrations.
The Hindu nationalist group, Dharam Raksha Sangh, has urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to ban Muslims from participating in Holi celebrations, its national president Saurabh Gaur citing alleged threats to Hindus by Muslims in Bareilly.
"We have decided to prohibit the entry of Muslims in Holi celebrations at major pilgrimage sites like Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, Barsana, Gokul and Dauji," he stated.
The organisation asserts that Holi is exclusively a Sanatan community celebration, and therefore, Muslims should not be allowed to sell colours or join in the festivities.
"We still perceive a threat from their intentions. They could cause disturbances," Gaur alleged.
Dharam Raksha Sangh's national coordinator, Acharya Badrish, backed the demand by comparing Muslims to "separatists and jihadists."He pushed for a ban similar to those imposed on Muslim participation in Garba events in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.
"Since they object to colours and gulal, they have no place in our Holi celebrations," he remarked.
Badrish suggested that Muslims could be allowed if they provided a written assurance to the Hindus.
"Otherwise, they should be kept away and the government must ensure it," he said.
Meanwhile, Dinesh Sharma, a petitioner in the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute, has written a letter to the chief minister in his own blood, urging a ban on Muslims participating in Braj's Holi celebrations, alleging that Muslims could "spit on sweets" during the festivities.
In response, Tanveer Ahmed, secretary of the Shahi Idgah Intazamia Committee and legal representative of the Muslim side in the temple-mosque dispute, has rejected the demands for banning Muslims from Holi celebrations, labelling them as divisive.
"Holi in Braj has always been celebrated with love and peace. There has never been any complaint from any community. Even great Krishna devotees like Ras Khan and Taj Bibi, who were Muslims, are revered here," he said.
Tanveer Ahmed pointed out that during the recent Maha Kumbh, Muslims extended hospitality to Hindu pilgrims, providing them with food and shelter, exemplifying communal harmony.
"Holi will be celebrated here in the same spirit of brotherhood. People will exchange greetings and embrace each other as per tradition. Such statements only seek to create divisions," he said.
Ahmed said while the Dharam Raksha Sangh's statement may reflect personal opinions, it is up to the government to respond to their demands.
(inputs from PTI)