Vijayapura MLA Yatnal objects to Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq inaugurating Dasara

BENGALURU: Vijayapura City MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who has been expelled from the BJP, has raised objections to writer and Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq being invited to inaugurate the Dasara festival.

Yatnal expressed his respect for Banu Mushtaq as a writer and activist. However, he questioned her participation in the festival’s inauguration, which involves offering prayers to Goddess Chamundeshwari.

I personally hold respect for Bhanu Mushtaq madam as a writer and activist. However, her inaugurating Dasara by offering flowers and lighting the lamp to Goddess Chamundeshwari seems to be in conflict with her own religious beliefs. Madam needs to clarify whether she continues to…

— Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) (@BasanagoudaBJP) August 24, 2025

Yatnal pointed out that inaugurating the festival by offering flowers and lighting lamps would be against Banu Mushtaq’s own religious beliefs. He asked her to clarify whether she still believes in the Islamic principle of rejecting idol worship or if she thinks all paths lead to the same salvation.

Without this clarification, Yatnal said, he believes it would be inappropriate for Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the festival. However, he suggested that she could participate in literary events during the festival, such as cultural programmes or poetry readings, as a guest.