Left: The pamphlet distributed by Girls Islamic Organization; Right: Muslim women along with others at Walkers Street in Nagpur

The decision by some Muslim women from the Girls Islamic Organization (GIO), Nagpur chapter, to celebrate ‘Hijab Day’ on Saturday morning (September 4) at Walkers street in the city has sparked massive controversy. The incident has attracted wrath of Hindu outfits, which have accused the Muslim organization of trying to convert Hindu girls to Islam.

Bajrang Dal has accused the Muslim women of forcing Hindu girls to wear burqa. The Hindu outfit has filed a police complaint against the Muslim women at Sadar Police Station asking police officials to take action against the women and their husbands, who according to the outfit were waiting for the women nearby on bikes.

GIO members reportedly distributed pamphlets asking young girls (age 18 to 25) to join its cause ‘to spread knowledge of Quran and Sunnat.’ The photos of the pamphlets along with some videos went viral on Saturday.

Speaking to Nation Next, Amit Bembi, Vice President, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Nagpur, said: “My friend Sandeep Nair called me in the morning and informed about some burqa-clad women, who were asking Hindu girls to wear Hijab to celebrate Hijab day. When citizens noticed it and asked the Muslim women to leave, they started arguing. “

The video of an elderly citizen in an argument with the Muslim women is in possession with Nation Next. In the video, while the citizen can be heard slamming GIO members, a supposedly Hindu girl aged 17, who was allegedly asked to wear Hijab, can be heard saying that nobody forced her and other girls to wear the Hijab.

Ironically, Arkhel has claimed that the girls denying they were not forced to wear the hijab were not Hindu as well. Arkhel said, “Those girls were not Hindus. They were Muslims pretending to be Hindus as part of pre-planned activity to provoke Hindu girls to wear burqa.”

On the other hand, Bembi termed the actions of GIO as ‘Hijab Jihad.’ He said, “They distributed pamphlets stating Hijab is good for women. It’s their culture; they can follow it. Why ask Hindus to do it? We don’t have any problem with Muslim women wearing Hijab, but why do they need to enforce it on Hindu women?

Such pamphlets by Muslim outfits earlier used to be in Hindi and Urdu. The pamphlets distributed today were in English to entice the youth. This is nothing by ‘Hijab Jihad.’ The agenda is to convert Hindus into Muslims.”

After the incident, Bembi, Nair, Arkhel (Vice President, Bajrang Dal, Nagpur) and Vinod Nair (Pramukh, RSS Nari Suraksha) approached Sadar Police Station seeking action against GIO.

Speaking to Nation Next, Zone II DCP Vinita S said, “We are verifying the allegations made against the organization. Only after we are done with our investigation, we will be able to comment on the matter.”