The State Waqf Board chairman of Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Chhattisgarh on Tuesday (September 23, 2025) appealed to Muslim youth to stay away from Garba functions during the ongoing Navratri festival. While the appeal resonates with such demands raised by right-wing leaders in recent years, this is a rare instance of the head of a Waqf Board — a body that works towards the management and regulation of Waqf properties — voicing their support.
In a statement posted on the Chhattisgarh Waqf Board’s official WhatsApp group, its chairman Salim Raj wrote that entering Garba venues with “malicious intent” hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community, potentially disrupting social harmony.
