‘Judge us by work, not faith’: Bouncers decry 'ban' on Muslim colleagues at Dandiya events

Allegations that organisers of Dandiya and Navratri events in Telangana are refusing to hire Muslim bouncers have triggered a political controversy, with Hyderabad MP and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi demanding strict police action against such discrimination.

The issue has also drawn a sharp response from suspended BJP MLA T Raja Singh, who has defended the reported decision by some organisers to employ only Hindu security personnel at Dandiya events.

Appeal by bouncers

Amid the controversy, representatives of private security agencies and bouncers from Hindu and Muslim communities have jointly appealed for equal employment opportunities, saying their livelihoods should not be affected by religious considerations.

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At a press conference in Hyderabad earlier this month, Mohammad Feroz, also known as Fazal, who represented the collective, said festival-season assignments were an important source of income for hundreds of security personnel. “We are fighting for employment, not for religion,” Feroz said, stressing that workers should be judged on their professional abilities rather than their religious identity.

Individual accountability

He said he had approached Owaisi to bring the alleged boycott into the public domain, adding that the collective's objective was to ensure fair opportunities for all security personnel.

Feroz also rejected allegations linking Muslim bouncers to so-called “love jihad”, saying their responsibilities at festival venues were limited to crowd management, security and preventing disturbances.

He called for individual investigations into allegations of wrongdoing, arguing that an entire community should not face employment restrictions over accusations against some people.

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Describing the working relationship among security personnel from different faiths, Feroz said his team included 10 non-Muslim bouncers who had worked with him for five years. The collective urged event organisers to assess workers on experience, conduct and professional competence.

Owaisi, Raja Singh trade barbs

The controversy escalated on Tuesday (October 6) after Owaisi criticised the reported exclusion of Muslim bouncers from Dandiya events under pressure from what he described as extremist organisations.

In a post on X, the AIMIM chief urged people across religious communities to stay united, warning that such divisions could undermine Telangana's progress. He also called for strict police action to curb the alleged discrimination.

Singh hit back, questioning Owaisi's intervention in the employment of security personnel at Hindu festivals. In a video statement, the suspended BJP MLA alleged that Hindus were not offered similar opportunities during Muslim festivals.

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He also claimed that incidents of “love jihad” targeting Hindu women had increased at Dandiya events and accused Muslim bouncers of enabling such cases. Singh praised organisers who had reportedly opted for Hindu-only security teams and threatened to stop events that employed non-Hindu bouncers.

The security personnel collective has appealed to the state government and police to address complaints through the law, while urging organisers to ensure that religious identity does not determine access to work.