A resolution banning Muslim traders from conducting business in Madhi village during the Kanifnath Maharaj Yatra (also known as the Madhi Chi Yatra), which has been celebrated at the Kanifnath shrine for 700 years, was passed by the Madhi Gram Sabha in Pathardi taluka of the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra on February 22. The tournament started on February 28. Nitesh Rane in his style, had certain thoughts that he shared candidly in the same context.
On March 2, Maharashtra Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nitesh Narayan Rane questioned the decision when the Block Development Officer stopped it and alleged procedural breaches. “The BDO should keep in mind that a Hindutva Sarkar is in power in Maharashtra,” he said during a visit to Ahilyanagar. Even if he has stayed with the Madhi gram panchayat’s resolution, I implore the villages to do so once more. How will the BDO reject the resolution if every villager signs it?
He called the announcement “historic” and went on to say, “The village’s staunchest Hindutva supporters have been roused.” The nation will receive guidance from the gram sabha’s decision. Such a decision will be made throughout Maharashtra if the Hindu religion is contested. His portfolio includes Ports Development and Fisheries.
“The gram sabha is well within its constitutional rights to pass such a resolution imposing the ban,” said District Guardian Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, who had previously supported the gram sabha’s decision. The Supreme Court has recognized the Gram Sabha’s rights. “All temples and other Hindu religious institutions across India should take similar steps,” declared Adhyatmik Aghadi Tushar Bhosale, a member of the BJP. Hindu organizations have defended the decision, arguing that it is an effort to uphold “Sanatani traditions.”
After the resolution was approved, Ashish Yerekar, the CEO of Ahilyanagar Zilla Parishad, had already directed BDO Shivaji Kamble to look into its validity.
Kamble said that the resolution was passed with the help of outsiders. “We investigated and discovered that, by government regulations, the gram sabha did not have the necessary quorum. In addition, 16 of the 116 signatures on the resolution could not be verified. Additionally, the resolution has additional flaws, which is why I believe it to be unlawful,” he said.
The ban’s supporters in the area said that it was intended to protect Hindu traditions during the yatra. Villagers complained to us that Muslim traders were engaging in illegal and antisocial activities during the yatra and were not abiding by our customs. Therefore, we approved a resolution prohibiting them from participating in the recent gram sabha,” said Sanjay Markad, the local sarpanch.
About 650 Muslims make up the 5,000 inhabitants of Madhi village, which is located in the Ahilyanagar district and is about 175 kilometers from Pune. Each year, thousands of devotees and traders go from all across the state to take part in the well-known yatra. The month-long celebration begins on Holi and concludes on Gudi Padwa. The sacred festival honoring Kanifnath, also known as Kanhoba, a revered person of the Navnath Sampraday sect, is set to take place in Madhi hamlet on March 19.
Call for the prohibition of Muslim participation in “Braj ki Holi”
In a statement, the Hindu group Dharam Raksha Sangh, based in Vrindavan, expressed mistrust of the Muslim minority due to its offensive behavior and expressed concern that there would be disturbances during Braj’s Holi celebrations. The former asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to limit their participation. The Dharam Raksha Sangh’s national leader, Saurabh Gaur, emphasized that the recent incident in Bareilly showed that Muslims were threatening Hindus. Hindus were attacked by Muslim youngsters who threatened to kill them if they celebrated Holi.
“We have decided to forbid Muslims from entering major pilgrimage sites such as Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, Barsana, Gokul, and Dauji during the Holi celebrations,” Gaur said. “Holi is the festival of love and harmony,” he said. “We still perceive a threat from their intentions,” they said, adding, “We do not want any member of the Muslim community to enter the celebrations and cause trouble.” They might stir commotion.
“The Uttar Pradesh government ought to impose a prohibition akin to the limitations imposed on Muslim involvement in garba festivities in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.” They have no place in our Holi festivities since they are against colors and gulal. As he compared the group to “separatists and jihadists,” Acharya Badrish, national coordinator of the Dharam Raksha Sangh, requested that they be kept at bay and that the government make sure of it.
He suggested that after providing the majority community with a formal guarantee, they might be allowed. “The government must make sure that they are kept at bay otherwise,” he continued. In a bloody letter to the chief minister, Dinesh Sharma, a petitioner in the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah issue, also urged the government to forbid Muslims from attending Braj’s Holi. He complained that Muslims might “spit on sweets” during the festivities.
Notably, Mathura and Vrindavan welcome visitors from all across the country and abroad to celebrate Holi.
Kumbh Mela calls were similar
The All India Akhara Parishad (AIAP), the highest authority of the Akharas in the country, made a similar call to limit Muslim access to the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh. The religious organization recognizes 13 major Akharas, including Nirmohi, Nirvani, Digamber, Mahanirvani, Atal, Bada Udasin, Nirmal, Niranjani, Juna, Avahan, Anand, Agni, and Naya Udasin. Spitting in meals and urinating in juice are just two of the numerous examples that have surfaced recently. Its supremo, Ravindra Puri, stated last year that since all Sanatanis will be Hindus at the Kumbh Mela, it will not be accepted if someone defiles objects and feeds them.
He restated in January that “Muslims should not open shops during the upcoming Maha Kumbh Mela because they will corrupt our religion, even though they are our brothers and we have no animosity toward them.” Since they purposefully spit on the food, they shouldn’t own grocery stores, juice bars, food stands, or tea shops.
“Those who are unrelated to Hinduism, Hindu ceremonies, or our saints and sages should not be permitted to open a business. The position can be performed effectively by those who understand Hinduism, its significance, how to respect this religion, and how worship is practiced. In support of the Akhara parishad, Bageshwar Dham Sarkar (also known as Dhirendra Krishna Shastri) said, “Any other person of any particular religion who does not respect Lord Ram should not be allowed to do any kind of service during Maha Kumbh.”
He went on to say, “This indicates that they are carrying out some sort of conspiracy because a few days before, these folks sold urine-mixed meals and some spit on fruits and vegetables before selling them. This is the rationale behind the stringent prohibition of non-Hindus during Maha Kumbh.
“Mere Angne me tumhara kya kaam?” (What is your employment at Hindu fairs), Shastri asked further. These folks are the least troubled by and engaged in Hindu rites, festivals, fairs, and general Sanatan Dharma. At Maha Kumbh, we have Triveni, Sangam, and the worship of saints and lords. Why would you want to meddle with Lord Ram’s service when you don’t respect him?
The Waqf board, meanwhile, claimed ownership of the land where the Maha Kumbh Mela was held and argued that the Hindu pilgrimage site was on their land. In response to the ridiculous argument, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “Anyone who respects Indian traditions is welcome.” Many people still take pleasure in Indian customs even though their ancestors converted to Islam under duress in the past.
Then he issued a warning: “There is no issue if such folks come to dip in the Ganga by custom. However, someone may be subject to denting and painting if they arrive to claim the land. The remarks came after All India Muslim Jammat (AIMJ) president Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi declared that Waqf owned the location where the Maha Kumbh 2025 preparations were taking place and that Muslims were not permitted to enter.
Why are these requests being made?
Islamo-communists and their liberal supporters have been motivated by these laws and appeals, which may seem unreasonable and disparaging to the majority community. However, considering the antagonistic actions of the Islamists in many places, especially around Hindu holidays and celebrations, one might understand the rationale behind such requests. For the same reason, the Yogi government ordered restaurants to display the names and addresses of their operators, owners, and managers during the Kanwar Yatra.
The same order was also enforced by the Uttarakhand government. The decision was taken in response to the frequent deception of Hindus into eating tainted food, which resulted in conflicts and altercations between followers of the two religions. Supported by radicals in the country who essentially urged Hindus to eat such cuisine and violate their religious duties as well as hygiene in order to defend secularism, the development caused a worldwide outrage in the liberal media. It’s interesting to note that the points remain valid today.
The many attacks, including stone-pelting, that have occurred during Hindu festivities and resulted in severe violence, fatalities, and serious injuries cannot be disregarded, even if their behaviors—such as spitting and peeing in food—are not taken into account. On February 26, during Maha Shivratri, Muslims demonstrated against the installation of loudspeakers and religious flags in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, which led to an altercation between the two groups.
From the rooftops of their homes and schools, they threw stones, and Hindus retaliated. At least six people were hurt in the event, which involved eight vehicles—including a car, six bikes, a scooter, and a bicycle—being set on fire.
Earlier, on February 24, Muslims attacked Hindus for celebrating Maha Shivratri outside a steel mill in the Gwalathai neighborhood of the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, resulting in a violent brawl. It was stated that Hindus organizing a bhandara were shot at by Muslims. Three members of both sides were wounded during the battle and quickly transported to the hospital for treatment.
During these events, young Muslim men have even targeted Hindu women and acted in a vulgar manner. Members of the Hindu Jagran Manch in Indore spotted Amir Khan, who was posing as Aman, attending garba celebrations with a little girl in October. Later, she was discovered missing in Balaghat. After Khan was taken into custody, more investigation revealed that he attended the event with a large number of girls, including minors. His victims’ explicit discussions and pictures were on his phone.
Similarly, Firoz went to a garba function in Ujjain and introduced himself as Rahul. He was even carrying condoms. However, once the Hindu community became suspicious and began questioning the Muslim lad, he was turned over to the authorities. Additionally, throughout these holy holidays, holy Hindu processions have been regularly attacked nationwide, creating a major threat to law and order and endangering lives.
However, under India’s discriminatory ideals of brotherhood and peace, Hindus are compelled to make sacrifices and submit to the demands of secularism, a burden they bear alone. Hindus cannot decide who should be allowed to participate in their religious activities without facing harsh criticism and unnecessary lectures on tolerance and universal acceptance, even in light of the liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and extended to all other communities.
While followers of other religions have the freedom to express and celebrate their beliefs and holidays as they see fit, Hindus are subject to the overwhelming influence of secularism. Hindus are harmed by the distorted secularism, which undermines their rights and religion. Anyone who tries to publicly express their faith is portrayed as intolerable, discriminatory, and everything in between. Time and again, Hindu liberties are sacrificed for the sake of secularism.
