"What happened at the event was not my doing."
Gujarati folk singer Aditya Gadhvi has distanced himself from a controversial announcement made during his Navratri performance.
The incident took place at the Rang Morla ft. Aditya Gadhvi programme held at Savvana Party Plot in Ahmedabad.
A video of the announcement went viral on social media, triggering widespread criticism.
It has put Gadhvi at the centre of a significant public controversy.
In the viral clip, anchor and radio jockey Akash Trivedi is heard announcing on stage during the Navratri event.
Trivedi said: “A humble request to any ‘vidharmi’ (non-Hindus) and Muslims to leave the ground.
“The Vishva Hindu Parishad has come here to protect Sanatan Dharma.”
He also announced a VHP helpline number, saying:
“The VHP wants you to look around and report suspicious people to the helpline number.”
Gujarat VHP spokesperson Hitendrasinh Rajput defended the announcement.
He described it as part of a routine exercise carried out at garba events across the state.
He told PTI that Bajrang Dal volunteers regularly visit garba events in Ahmedabad.
He meets up with organisers to request that non-Hindus be prevented from entering the venue.
Rajput said: “Sometimes, they also apply tilak on the foreheads of men attending the events and remove suspicious people from the ground.”
He added that volunteers had visited the Ahmedabad venue and prompted the organisers before the announcement was made.
Following heavy criticism from social media users, Gadhvi issued a detailed statement on Instagram.
The singer made it clear that the announcement had nothing to do with him.
He wrote: “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.”
He was emphatic in establishing that neither he nor his team had any role in or prior knowledge of the announcement made from his platform.
“What happened at the event was not my doing, and it was not my message.
“A group of people took over the backstage and used my platform to do something I would never do.
“My team and the anchor were not consulted, and we were not involved in any capacity.”
He went on to make a broader and deeply personal statement about the inclusive spirit he believes garba has always represented.
“Anyone who comes to a garba with love and respect for Maa (Durga) is welcome in my circle.
“That is not politics. That is just how I was raised. My stage is for music and for devotion. Jai Ambe.”
He emphasised that garba had never traditionally asked anyone for their surname or their religion before welcoming them to dance.
He noted that people of every faith in Gujarat and across India had played garba together for generations.
Anchor Akash Trivedi subsequently accepted Aditya Gadhvi’s collaborative Instagram post, indicating his agreement with the singer’s position.
