Overview

• Members of the Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan entered a hotel on Dehradun Road during auditions and demanded the rehearsal stop.
• State president Raghvendra Bhatnagar objected to contestants’ Western clothing, citing Rishikesh’s religious identity and Sanatan values.
• A widely shared video shows participants confronting the activists and objecting to being filmed, with organisers stressing parental consent.
• Police were called to de-escalate and later said no complaint was lodged and the dispute was settled on site.
• Lions Club Rishikesh Royal said the pageant, part of its Diwali fair, went ahead as scheduled, and the protesting outfit is a registered group with a record of campaigning against religious conversions.