Surat: A Navratri garba event in Surat’s Vesu area was briefly halted after right-wing activists objected to the presence of three Muslim drummers from a Mumbai-based band. The incident occurred at the Swarna Navratri event organised by Dhaval Munjani and Prince Patel.
Hundreds of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad members, led by Nilesh Akbari, entered the venue on Monday night, confronting organisers over the drummers’ participation. The event paused for nearly an hour as a heated discussion unfolded. Police arrived on the scene and oversaw negotiations between the parties.
Event organisers acknowledged the drummers’ religious identity and subsequently apologised. They assured right-wing leaders that Muslim musicians would not be hired for future Navratri events in Surat. Following the apology, the drummers were allowed to continue performing, and the event resumed without further disturbance.
Dhaval Munjani, co-organiser, stated that their company maintains contracts with musical bands featuring performers of different faiths. “Some of the performers are Muslims, some are Hindus. For the past two years, they have been performing at our events. After objections, we apologised and will ensure no Muslim performers are brought next year,” he said.
Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut said the situation was resolved peacefully, and no complaints or assaults occurred. He emphasised the need for maintaining order at cultural events and directed police to monitor potential disruptions.
Bajrang Dal leader Nilesh Akbari stated that strict instructions were given to prevent Muslim performers or bouncers at future Navratri events.
