Navratri celebrations disrupted as Muslim men enter garba event in Durg, Chhattisgarh
Durg, Chhattisgarh, India 
15 October, 2026
Case Summary
In Durg, Chhattisgarh, Navratri celebrations were disrupted after Muslim men entered a Garba event and participated in the festivities. Their presence prompted outrage among Hindu activists belonging to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, who objected to non-Hindus being allowed to enter and participate in a sacred Hindu religious festival. The incident occurred on 16 October 2026 at the Civil Lines Hockey Ground in Durg, where the Durg Navnirman Samiti had organised a Garba event. Shortly after the programme began, activists belonging to the VHP and Bajrang Dal reached the stage and protested against the entry of Muslim men into the Garba venue. They objected to non-Hindus participating in the Hindu religious celebrations. The disagreement soon escalated into a confrontation, resulting in scuffles and physical altercations on the stage. During the confrontation, Congress leader and former Durg Mayor Dheeraj Bakliwal was also pushed and manhandled. Bakliwal stated that the Garba event was entirely free of charge and open to anyone who had faith in Mata Rani (Goddess Durga). He maintained that the programme had begun peacefully, but some individuals had deliberately attempted to disrupt the celebrations and spoil the atmosphere. VHP functionary Ramlochan Tiwari objected to Muslim men participating in the Hindu religious festivities. He maintained that the organisers should establish clear entry arrangements for such religious events. Referring to a statement by Waqf Board chairman Salim Raj that idol worship was not practised in Islam, Tiwari questioned why Muslim men had entered the Garba event. He further insisted that entrants should be required to apply a tilak and have Gangajal sprinkled on them before being allowed inside. Following the confrontation, Durg police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against nine named individuals. Additional Superintendent of Police Manishankar Chandra confirmed that a case had been registered and stated that further action would follow the investigation. Meanwhile, a Bajrang Dal functionary stated that the police were registering an FIR against those raising their voices in defence of Hindu interests while failing to act on the Hindu organisations' complaint. He warned that the organisations would burn an effigy of the Superintendent of Police if their complaint was not acted upon. The incident subsequently triggered political and social tensions in the city. Hindu organisations threatened to intensify their protests if the police failed to register an FIR on their complaint. The Bajrang Dal also described the incident as a conspiracy linked to 'Love Jihad'. The police investigation into the confrontation and the complaints lodged by the respective parties remained underway.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is being documented in the Undecided database of the Hinduphobia Tracker because Muslim men entered a Garba event organised during Navratri and participated in the celebrations. Their presence prompted objections from Hindu activists who protested against non-Hindus being allowed to participate in a sacred Hindu religious festival. The disagreement escalated into a confrontation, resulting in scuffles and physical altercations at the venue. Navratri is a sacred Hindu religious observance dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine forms. Garba, traditionally performed during Navratri, is a devotional dance through which devotees express their reverence for the Goddess. These celebrations are rooted in Hindu religious traditions and are not merely entertainment events or ordinary social gatherings. Traditional Garba events are organised as part of Hindu religious observances, and the participation of Hindu devotees is central to their religious character. Therefore, Hindu communities have a legitimate interest in preserving the religious character of these celebrations and determining the arrangements governing participation in events organised specifically as religious observances. The presence of the Muslim men also raised concerns in light of the wider pattern of targeting of Garba events documented by the Hinduphobia Tracker. Between 1 January 2023 and 29 October 2026, the Tracker documented 26 incidents in which Garba events were targeted. In 13 of these incidents, Muslim perpetrators had pretended to be Hindus to gain entry into Garba events. Several cases involved Hindu women being molested or sexually assaulted during these gatherings. This documented pattern has contributed to suspicion and apprehension within the Hindu community regarding the presence of Muslim men at Garba events, particularly where their identities or intentions are unclear. In the present case, however, the available information does not establish that the Muslim men concealed their religious identities, attempted to misrepresent themselves as Hindus or entered the venue with the intention of targeting Hindu women or desecrating the religious observance. Garba is a Hindu religious observance, and Hindu communities have a legitimate interest in preserving the sanctity of their religious gatherings and determining the conditions under which they are organised. The objections raised by Hindu activists in this case must therefore be understood in the context of the religious character of Garba, the organisers' entry arrangements and the broader pattern of incidents involving the targeting of such events. However, the available information does not establish whether the Muslim men entered the venue in violation of any specific entry restrictions imposed by the organisers or whether their participation involved any deliberate religious provocation. Their religious identity and participation in the celebrations, by themselves, do not establish hostility towards Hinduism or an intention to desecrate the religious observance. It remains possible that their participation did not involve any deliberate religious provocation or hostile intent. The Hinduphobia Tracker follows strict parameters when documenting an incident as a religiously motivated hate crime. At the time of documentation, the available evidence in this case did not establish a clear religious motive behind the conduct of the Muslim men who entered and participated in the Garba celebrations. Consequently, the incident does not currently meet the criteria for inclusion in the Tracker's confirmed hate crime database and will remain in the Undecided database. If further information emerges establishing that their actions were driven by religious hostility or an intention to target or desecrate Hindu religious observances, the case will be reassessed and transferred to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
