‘Group took over backstage’: Gujarati singer Aditya Gadhvi on non-Hindus being told to leave garba venue

The controversy erupted during the ‘Rang Morla ft. Aditya Gadhvi’ programme at Savvana Party Plot on Shela Road on Wednesday night, when anchor and radio jockey Akash Trivedi appealed to non-Hindus and Muslims to leave the venue, citing the presence of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) to protect Sanatan Dharma. A video of the announcement circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism and prompting Gadhvi to issue a statement on Instagram clarifying his position. “A few words from me, because a lot is being said in my name.

I am an artist. I am a proud Hindu. Navratri is the most sacred time of my year, and standing on a stage singing for Maa Ambe in front of thousands of people dancing garba is the greatest blessing of my life,” the singer said. He added that the announcement was neither his decision nor his message, alleging that a group had taken control of the backstage area and used his platform to make the appeal. Gadhvi said neither his team nor the anchor had consulted him about the move and that they had not been involved in it. “My stage is for music and for devotion,” he said, adding that anyone who came to participate in garba with love and respect for Maa Durga was welcome.

In the video, Trivedi is heard making “a humble request to any ‘vidharmi (non-Hindus)’ and Muslims to leave the ground”, before stating that the VHP had come to protect Sanatan Dharma. A VHP leader defended the intervention, describing it as part of a routine exercise undertaken by Bajrang Dal volunteers at garba events across the state. “We remove suspicious people from the ground,” he said. Reportedly, Bajrang Dal volunteers visited the Rang Morla programme on Wednesday and asked the organisers to prevent non-Hindus from entering.

The announcement was subsequently made from the stage. In his Instagram statement, Gadhvi also invoked garba’s longstanding tradition of bringing people together across communities. “For generations, people of every faith in Gujarat and across India have played garba side by side, and that is what makes it ours,” he said, adding that the traditional dance had never asked anyone for their surname. The singer concluded his statement with “Jai Ambe”, reiterating that his platform was intended for music and devotion rather than the exclusion of participants on religious grounds.