Uttarakhand: A modelling rehearsal for the upcoming Miss Rishikesh pageant has triggered controversy in the Uttarakhand town of Rishikesh after members of a right-wing group objected to participants wearing western-style clothing, claiming it insulted the city's spiritual identity.

According to a report by the Indian Express, the rehearsal was held at a hotel on Friday and organised by the Lions Club Royal as part of its annual Diwali fair, which saw young women practising their ramp walk. However, around 2 pm, members of the Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan, led by state president Raghavendra Bhatnagar, entered the venue and demanded the event be stopped.

Bhatnagar objected to the attire worn by the contestants, calling it "against Sanatan Dharma" and inappropriate for “a city of pilgrimages.” He told reporters, “Sanatan Dharma teaches women to dress modestly. Events like this hurt social and religious sentiments.”

A video of the incident, which has since gone viral on social media, shows a heated exchange between the activists and the participants. One of the models can be seen standing her ground, saying, “Culture cannot be defined through clothes.” The group was also seen filming the contestants, prompting further objections from the event coordinators, who pointed out that the program had been organised with the consent of the participants’ parents.

Akshat Goyal, son of the hotel owner, confronted the protesters, and tensions briefly escalated before locals intervened to defuse the situation. Police later confirmed that no formal complaint had been filed and that the dispute was resolved between the parties.

Despite the disruption, the Miss Rishikesh pageant went ahead as scheduled on Saturday.

The Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan, registered in 2017, considers one of its main functions to protest “against the increasing evils in the Hindu society” and “to get poor girls of Hindu society married.”