A right-wing group sabotaged the ‘Miss Rishikesh’ pageant rehearsals, schooling the women on wearing ‘short clothes.’ The Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan, led by its state president Raghvendra Bhatnagar, raised objections to a ramp walk event organised by the Lions Club Rishikesh on Friday, doing the moral policing.
A video of the incident has been making the rounds on social media, where Bhatnagar can be seen having a heated argument with the contestants over their “western-style outfits.”
He can be heard saying, “Modelling khatam ho gayi, ghar jao (Modeling is over, go home). Don't spoil Rishikesh's culture. This is not our culture.”
One of the contestants confronted the right-wing leader, saying he should stop the sale of such clothes. To this, Bhatnagar replied and asked the contestant not to ask him anything.
This further heated the argument, after which the contestant said, “Then you also don't say anything to us. Let us do what we are doing.”
“You can do whatever you want to do at your homes", replied Bhatnagar.
In a defiant response, the contestant said to Bhatnagar, "Who are you to tell us anything?"
They could stay there, Bhatnagar retorted, but he would "stop the show," saying, "You are ruining Uttarakhand's culture."
Pankaj Chandani, the president of the Lions Club Rishikesh, defended the competitors by pointing out that they are grown-ups who can make fashion choices.
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