A BJP MLA in Madhya Pradesh has asked party workers to ensure that Muslim youths are not allowed to enter garba venues in her constituency, Indore (3), during the upcoming annual Navdurga festival alleging that Hindu girls are lured by them and converted to Islam as part of the “love jihad” conspiracy to distort population ratio in the country.

Usha Thakur, who is also state BJP vice-president, told The Indian Express that she would soon be writing to all garba organisers in her constituency to allow only Hindu men inside the garba venues by making electoral photo-identity cards mandatory for entry.

“If they (Muslim youths) want to take part in the festival, they should first convert to Hinduism. Muslim youths hoodwink the organisers by sporting tilak on their forehead and get inside the venue to mingle with Hindu girls. I am going to write to the organisers to insist on electoral identity cards for men and allow only Hindu men inside the venue,’’ she said.

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Thakur is convener of an outfit called Samagra Kranti Chetna Manch that has released leaflets listing 11 points on “maintaining discipline, culture and propriety” during the Navdurga festival, which begins later this month.

According to her, the 11 points were compiled during a “brainstorming session attended by intellectuals, prominent citizens and invitees”.

The list insists people to wear traditional dresses, play religious and folk songs and use earthen idols against those made from plaster of paris.

It asks people to use ghee (clarified butter made from cow milk) and prohibits them from dancing to “puerile and indecent” songs.

The list ends with reference of “love jihad” but without talking about Islam and insists on identity cards without elaborating it.

Thakur, who began her political career as a municipal councillor in 1994 and is an MLA since 2003, is also against women wearing low-waist ghagras and backless cholis during the festival. She advocates compulsory training of girls in weapons. “Women lack self confidence and can gain it by chanting shlokas and mantras devoted to goddess Durga,’’ Thakur told The Indian Express.

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