A BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh has ignited a row demanding the Garba organisers in Indore to offer “Gaumutra” (cow urine) to people while entering the venue, claiming that Hindus will never refuse to drink it. He said the practice will ensure that only Hindus enter the pandal.
“We have requested organisers to ensure devotees do aachaman with cow urine before allowing them to enter garba pandals,” BJP district president Chintu Verma told reporters, emphasising that “aachman” practice has great significance in Sanatan.
In Hindu culture, aachman is a process for the purification of the body and mind. The process involves sipping the water three times while reciting mantras, and it is usually performed before a religious ceremony.
When asked about the reason for this demand, Verma advocated his stance by claiming that sometimes some people join these functions, which ignite controversies, significantly hinting towards the 2022 incidents where several Muslim men were arrested for entering and causing the disturbance in the Garba pandal.
“Aadhaar card can be edited. However, if a person is a Hindu, he will enter the Garba pandal only after aachaman of cow urine and there is no question of refusing it,” the BJP leader argued.
Congress counters
Meanwhile, Congress termed this move a new tactic of polarisation by the saffron party. Congress spokesperson Neelabh Shukla argued that BJP leaders are silent on the plight of cow shelters and are only interested in politicising this issue.
“Raising the cow urine aachman demand is the BJP’s new trick of playing polarisation politics,” Shukla claimed, demanding that BJP leaders should first sip cow urine before entering pandals and post videos on social media.
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