Speaking at a public event on Monday, Sharma questioned why Muslim youths wanted to attend Garba by themselves and said families should participate together. He added that Muslims were welcome if they embraced the religious character of the festivities, including chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and applying a tilak. Sharma repeated his position on Tuesday after criticism emerged, describing Garba as worship of Goddess Jagdamba rather than entertainment.
The BJP MLA also linked his comments to what he described as the need to prevent harassment of Hindu women at Garba venues. He referred to “love jihad”, a term used by some Hindu groups and BJP leaders for alleged attempts by Muslim men to enter relationships with Hindu women for religious conversion. No evidence relating to any specific incident at the event where Sharma spoke was cited in his remarks.
Congress MLA Arif Masood condemned Sharma’s language as objectionable and urged him to “mend his ways”. Masood said Muslims had no religious connection with Garba and criticised the legislator for turning a festival into a source of confrontation. The Congress leader’s response placed the dispute within a wider political argument over communal rhetoric during religious celebrations.
Mohsin Ali Khan, president of the Madhya Pradesh unit of AIMIM, also criticised Sharma, accusing him of seeking to divide society. Khan said the BJP legislator should read the Constitution and consult senior Muslim figures associated with the BJP before making statements about the community. AIMIM said the remarks risked deepening social divisions rather than addressing any legitimate security concern.
Sharma, however, stood by his comments. He said Muslims who felt an attachment to Sanatan traditions should attend Garba with parents, sisters and daughters and take part in worship rather than merely watch. He also said people coming with what he described as wrongful intentions would face resistance from Hindu youths.
The controversy comes during Navratri, when Garba and Dandiya gatherings draw large crowds across several states. Questions over entry rules, identity checks and participation by people from other faiths have surfaced at some venues, with organisers and Hindu groups in different places pressing for restrictions or verification measures. Such demands have also prompted criticism from opposition parties and civil-liberties advocates who argue that religious festivals should not become grounds for collective suspicion.
Sharma is a BJP MLA from Huzur, an assembly constituency covering parts of Bhopal. He has previously served as pro-tem Speaker of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly and is known for making outspoken comments on religious and political issues. The latest row has again placed his public statements under scrutiny, particularly because they concern access to a widely celebrated festival and refer directly to members of one religious community.
BJP MLA Usha Thakur offered partial support for Sharma’s broader argument about participation but distanced herself from one phrase. Thakur said people who do not practise idol worship should come with their mother, sister or wife if they wished to attend. Asked specifically about Sharma’s assertion that “our boys are ready”, she said she did not consider that appropriate. Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma separately called Sharma’s language shameful and said political leaders should promote unity rather than division on caste or religious lines. His criticism broadened the opposition response beyond Masood, while Thakur’s comments showed that Sharma’s formulation had also drawn reservations from within the BJP during the Navratri festival this year.
