Following allegations of religious discrimination in the employment of security guards for dandiya events during Navratri in Hyderabad, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi called on the police to take strict action against such occurrences.
Earlier on October 4, a group of Hindu and Muslim individuals working as bouncers in Hyderabad addressed the media and alleged that they had been facing discrimination from organisers of dandiya events since 2024. Mohammed Feroz (Fazal), a bouncer, alleged that event organisers have been saying they were under pressure not to employ Muslims.
“If that’s the case, the organisers must complain to the police about those who are promoting religious discrimination. We request the police to act against such people,” he said. Fazal also alleged that while the discrimination began at dandiya events two years ago, it has since crept into hiring of security guards in clubs and hotels as well.
A few of Fazal’s Hindu colleagues who were present also asked event organisers not to discriminate against an entire community. They said that Hindus and Muslims want to coexist peacefully in Telangana but some groups were trying to stoke communal tension through religious discrimination.
“Muslim bouncers and other workers have reported that event organisers are boycotting them under pressure from extremist organisations. This poison can be curbed if the police take strict action. More importantly, the people of Telangana must stand united across religions against this evil. Otherwise, the state’s progress and development will also become a victim,” Hyderabad MP Owaisi said.
Right-wing figures such as Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Telangana vice-president Laddu Yadav have been issuing warnings to garba and dandiya event organisers at least since 2024, asking them to check the Aadhaar cards of people entering venues to ensure only Hindus are allowed entry. The warnings are issued while making baseless claims of the Islamophobic conspiracy theory ‘love jihad’ and religious conversions during such events.
Issuing yet another warning on October 6, Laddu Yadav threatened, “If any organiser allows entry of non-Hindus, we will shut down the pandal and break the bones of the organisers and the non-Hindus who enter these events,” he said.
He also said, “If any Hindu sees a non-Hindu, call me or any worker of Bajrang Dal or RSS. We will come and teach them a lesson, we will turn them into a Hindu,” he said.
Controversial MLA of Goshamahal and former BJP member T Raja Singh too has made similar remarks, asking dandiya organisers not to hire Muslim staff such as bouncers and videographers.
The Navaratri festival will be celebrated from October 11 to 20.