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ShareMinisters Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal present as Ukrainians perform
MUMBAI: Sinuous belly dancers from Ukraine and Mumbai entertained the audience, which included State finance minister Jayant Patil and public works minister Chhagan Bhujbal besides several MPs and MLAs, at a dahi handi function organised by the NCP at Kherwadi, Bandra East, on Sunday.
The presence of belly dancers at a religious function comes when the controversy over cheer leaders at the Indian Premier League's recently held T-20 competition has hardly died down.
The NCP vice president Vijay Kamble who had organised the function said, "We had cheers girls from Ukraine and Mumbai. As in cricket they were called here to entertain the public so that they did not get bored." The NCP had announced a prize of Rs12 lakh for any group that broke the dahi handi. The ceremony on Janmashtami is a reenactment of lord Krishna and his cowherd friends (Govindas) stealing butter and curds from pots the women of Brindavan had strung up high to keep safe from them.
A senior cabinet minister who did not wish to be named asked "What's wrong if foreigners are dancing. They are like our Radha of olden days."
But the incident has left the NCP's deputy chief minister RR Patil, who had shut down the dance bars of Mumbai, speechless.
And the NCP's state president Arun Gujarathi wasn't amused either. "Cheer girls at such an auspicious and religious function is highly condemnable. I will enquire into the matter." There is some sanctity associated with every festival, he added.
According to BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde, "It only shows that NCP workers are following in the footsteps of their leader Sharad Pawar. He introduced cheer leaders in cricket. They have taken it a step further and incorporated them in a religious festival."
