MUMBAI, Sept. 10 -- In a position that puts her at odds with the exclusionary call issued by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) ahead of Navratri, Amruta Fadnavis, wife of CM Devendra Fadnavis, has said Muslims should be allowed to participate in Garba and Dandiya celebrations, describing the festivities as national celebrations open to people across communities and faiths. Amruta's remarks come days after the VHP called for Muslims to be kept out of Garba and Dandiya events during Navratri, a position that has also found support among some BJP leaders, including fisheries minister Nitesh Rane. Speaking to reporters in Chandrapur on Wednesday, Amruta said there was nothing objectionable about a Muslim participating in the festivities. "If a Muslim person comes there and enjoys the celebration without violating any rule, I do not see anything wrong in it," she said. The VHP, which is regarded as part of the wider Sangh Parivar ecosystem to which the BJP belongs, had also urged event organisers to verify the Aadhaar cards of attendees. Rane has backed the VHP's position. He has alleged that instances of 'Love Jihad' increase around such festivals and claimed that Muslim youths participate in such events by adopting Hindu names. htc...