A political tug of war has erupted in Karnataka after the state government decided to invite Booker Prize-winning author Banu Mushtaq and inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara festival in the Goddess Chamundeshwari temple. This has sparked reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) whose leaders have criticised the move. He also wrote, "he regional festival Dasara belongs to people of all religions."
Notably, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, in a post on X, urged critics not to communalise the iconic festival, emphasising its inclusive nature.
In his post, Shivakumar wrote, "Chamundeshwari Mother is the presiding deity of our region. Those who worship her, believe in her, honor her are found in all castes and religions. Her darshan is the right of everyone. Mother is the asset of all devotees, of all the children of the region, not limited to anyone. No one can say no to worshiping the Mother. This is the essence of my words. Creating controversy is the BJP's principle!"
"One should not do politics in the name of religion; even that Mother would not approve of it!" he added.
BJP Hits Back
Responding to the post, Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra on Thursday hit out at Shivakumar and claimed that it was an insult to Hindu traditions and beliefs. He questioned the Siddaramaiah government for inviting renowned Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq and not Deepa Bhasthi
Banu Mushtaq became the first Indian translator to win an International Booker Prize for translating Mushtaq's 'Heart Lamp'.
Also Check: Meet Banu Mushtaq: First Kannada Author To Win International Booker Prize 2025 For ‘Heart Lamp’
Earlier, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje slammed Shivakumar over his remark, accusing him of stirring controversy to appease the Congress high command.
"To please the Congress high command, DK Shivakumar has started a new controversy. He has made a statement that 'Chamundi Hills is not only for Hindus.' I want to ask him why?... Chamundi Hills belongs to Hindus, and the temple is dedicated to them... In our state, the Waqf property dispute is still ongoing," the NBJP leader wrote in a post on X.
"Lakhs of acres of land that belong to farmers have been registered in the name of Waqf, and now DK Shivakumar wants to add one more property to it... DK Shivakumar recited the RSS anthem in the assembly session, which has angered the Congress high command. To remove this anger, he has created this new controversy," she said.
Banu Mushtaq's Reaction To Controversy
On the state government inviting her to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara Festival 2025, Banu Mushtaq told reporters that to inaugurate is the highest reward any Kannadiga can get, and expressed gratitude to the state government.
ANI quoted her as saying, "Dasara is a very famous festival of Karnataka. Not just a festival, it's the greatest celebration of art, culture, and tradition of Karnataka... The government of Karnataka and the Royal Family of Mysuru have joined hands in celebration... To inaugurate this Dasara Festival is the highest reward any Kannadiga can be given, and I am so thankful to the Karnataka government and CM Siddaramaiah, who has invited me to inaugurate this festival."
Speaking about the controversy, she said that she would rather enjoy the festival than be sad about all the negativity.
(with ANI inputs)
