BJP leader Raghuraj Singh.
Aligarh: BJP leader Raghuraj Singh has stirred controversy with his remarks suggesting that Muslim men wear hijabs made of tarpaulin to avoid inconvenience during Holi celebrations on Friday, which coincides with the second Friday of Ramzan.
Singh, who serves as chairman of the high-power advisory committee of the labour and employment ministry in Uttar Pradesh and holds a minister of state equivalent rank, defended the festival’s traditional celebrations while addressing concerns over Holi coinciding with ‘Juma namaz’ (Friday prayers).
“The administration is on alert for Holi celebrations and Juma namaz, but some people have objections,” Singh said. “To those people, I would request that just like their women wear hijabs and mosques are covered with tarpaulin, they can make a hijab of tarpaulin for themselves. They will not face any inconvenience and will be able to offer namaz easily.”
Emphasizing Holi’s significance in ‘Sanatan Dharma,’ Singh asserted that restricting colour throwing was not an option. “Holi has been celebrated since ‘Satya Yug.’ It comes once a year. So, like mosques are covered with tarpaulin and their women wear hijabs, they should make a hijab using tarpaulin. Their skull caps will not get wet, and men can also wear the hijab of tarpaulin. Hindus should not be inconvenienced,” he stated.
The remarks follow another controversy in Sambhal, where a police officer had suggested that those uncomfortable with Holi colours should stay indoors, since Holi is celebrated only once a year, while Juma namaz takes place 52 times annually.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath backed the officer’s statement, remarking that while the official might have spoken like a “pehelwan,” the Arjun awardee’s point was valid.
Ahead of Holi, many mosques in Uttar Pradesh have adjusted Friday prayer timings. The imam of Lucknow Eidgah instructed mosques to hold Juma namaz at 2 pm that day and advised Muslims to offer prayers at a nearby mosque instead of traveling to distant ones. In Sambhal, authorities agreed that Hindus would celebrate Holi until 2:30 pm on March 14, while Muslims would offer prayers afterward.
Amid rising tensions, Aligarh’s chief mufti, Khalid Hameed, called for peaceful Holi celebrations, urging Muslims to take precautions to maintain harmony. “Muslims should adopt a flexible approach. While going for Friday prayers, they should avoid passing through areas where colours are being sprinkled,” he told reporters.
Hameed also appealed to mosque imams to delay Friday prayers by an hour to prevent any potential conflicts. “With minor adjustments, the Muslim community can contribute to a peaceful Holi celebration,” he said.
Meanwhile, Singh also voiced strong support for local BJP leader Ruby Asif Khan’s proposal to construct a Ram temple on the AMU campus, declaring, “I strongly support this proposal and am ready to make a hefty contribution for this cause.”
With PTI inputs