Former MP Usha Thakur alleges 450,000 Hindu girls leave Indore garba pavilions for Muslim youths annually

Garba celebrations in Indore have become a flashpoint for communal rhetoric as former state minister Usha Thakur publicly asserted that an estimated 4.5 lakh Hindu girls annually exit the dance pavilions to join young men from the Muslim community. Thakur made the statement without citing any official data or independent surveys, describing the trend as a growing concern for the cultural integrity of the event.
The claim was voiced during a press interaction in which Thakur, a senior leader of the ruling party, warned that the alleged exodus could undermine traditional values associated with the Navratri festivities. She suggested that the phenomenon reflects a broader pattern of inter‑community interaction that she views unfavourably.
Opposition figures and civil‑society groups have questioned the veracity of the numbers, noting the absence of any demographic study to substantiate the figure. Several local cultural organisations have also urged restraint, emphasizing that garba is a shared cultural space that historically welcomes participants from diverse backgrounds.
The episode adds to a series of recent statements by politicians in Madhya Pradesh that link cultural events to communal narratives, highlighting the sensitive interplay between religion, politics and public celebrations in the state.