BJP leaders slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for allegedly repeatedly inviting those who are against Hindu religious beliefs to the Dasara inauguration.
Published Aug 25, 2025 | 10:41 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 25, 2025 | 10:41 AM
Mysuru Dasara. (iStock)
Synopsis: Karnataka Minister Santosh Lad criticised BJP leaders for questioning the state government’s decision to invite Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate this year’s Mysuru Dasara festivities. BJP leader Pratap Simha had earlier said that Dasara is a Hindu religious festival and not a government programme.
Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad strongly criticised BJP leader Pratap Simha for questioning the state government’s decision to invite Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate this year’s Mysuru Dasara festivities. Simha had earlier said that Dasara is a Hindu religious festival and not a government programme.
“Banu Mushtaq is from another faith. Does she believe in Goddess Chamundeshwari? How will she be the right person to inaugurate it?” he asked while speaking to reporters on Sunday, 24 August.
Meanwhile, the Udupi district police booked two persons in separate cases for their social media posts against the government’s decision to invite Mushtaq to inaugurate Mysuru Dasara.
In a social media post on 22 August, it was Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who announced that Mushtaq would be inaugurating this year’s Mysuru Dasara.
“Associated with the farmers’ movement and the Kannada movement, Banu Mushtaq is also a progressive thinker. By having her inaugurate Dasara, the government is honouring her achievements,” the chief minister had said.
Simha also slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for allegedly repeatedly inviting those who are against Hindu religious beliefs to the Dasara inauguration.
Reacting to his statement, Lad asked, “Is there anything in the Constitution that says Banu Mushtaq should not be invited for the inauguration of Dasara?”
Slamming the BJP for objecting to everything on communal lines, Lad recalled contributions by the Azim Premji Foundation and national leaders like APJ Abdul Kalam.
“Who has been the highest donor in the country? Azim Premji has given lakhs of crores of rupees for the benefit of the poor. Do we question his religion before taking his contribution?” Lad asked.
Meanwhile, another BJP leader, Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, also opposed the government’s decision to invite Mushtaq for the inauguration.
“We urge Banu to clarify whether she has Islamic beliefs. Without such clarity, it does not appear appropriate for her to inaugurate Dasara. She may certainly inaugurate cultural or literary events within Dasara festivities, but the religious inauguration of Dasara itself should be refrained from,” he said in a post on X.
It is also important to note that artists belonging to other faiths, including AR Rahman, have performed at the Mysuru Dasara over the years.
The first person to be booked over a social media post was Jagadish Udupa, who questioned the government’s decision to invite Mushtaq to inaugurate the celebrations and termed it an insult to Hindu traditions. The post read that such an act was ‘wrong, appeasement of one community, and an affront to Hindu religious sentiments,‘ further warning that there would be consequences.
According to a report by The Hindu, the Kollur police registered a case under section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), saying the post was provocative in nature and had the potential to disturb communal peace.
The second person, Sudeep Shetty of Nitte in Karkala taluk, had commented on a poster regarding the chief minister’s announcement. His post claimed that Dasara is a Hindu cultural festival and accused the Congress government of repeatedly hurting Hindu sentiments by involving someone who does not accept Hindu traditions.
The police said the remarks were aimed at creating enmity between communities and the Karkala rural police registered the case under section 353(2) of the BNS.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Anisha Reddy.)
