Moulvi offers prayers in gram panchayat office, Homa performed after objections

UDUPI: A moulvi offering prayers (dua) inside the Gangolli gram panchayat office in Kundapur taluk has irked Hindu groups after a video of the incident went viral on social media.

The gram panchayat comes under the Byndoor Assembly constituency and the Congress and SDPI are sharing power. The moulvi reportedly offered prayers when the vice-president was assuming charge on Thursday.

Congress member Jayanthi Kharvi was elected president while SDPI-supported member Tabrez was chosen vice-president. The SDPI had reportedly invited the moulvi to conduct the prayers.

A Ganapathi Homa was performed in the president’s chamber on Friday.

On Friday, Congress members, led by Jayanthi, conducted Ganapathi Homa after objections were raised to the moulvi offering prayers inside the gram panchayat office.

The BJP had held sway in the gram panchayat for 30 years and the Congress is back in power after 20 years after aligning with the SDPI. The Congress and BJP have 12 members each while the SDPI has seven.