‘BJP floating discriminatory ideas’: Sharan Prakash Patil as SC dismisses plea inviting Banu Mushtaq for Mysuru Dasara

BENGALURU: State Minister Sharan Prakash Patil welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss the petition against the invitation to Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate Mysuru Dasara festivities, and slammed the BJP for “discriminatory ideas”.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Sharan Prakash Patil said that the BJP’s opposition to Mushtaq’s invitation is not in the spirit of secularism.

“If a woman is inaugurating an event, we should all be happy about it. It is very regressive of the BJP to be floating such ideas. This is not in the spirit of secularism… These discriminatory ideas that the BJP was floating in public have been squashed. I am happy about it,” he said.

Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision and said that the Mysuru Dasara cannot be “confined to a religious framework”.

In a post on X, CM Siddaramaiah shared, ” I welcome the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss the petition filed against the state government’s stance of inviting Booker Prize-winning author Banu Mushtaq for the inauguration of Mysuru Dasara. Mysuru Dasara cannot be confined to a religious framework. We have consistently maintained that it is a festival celebrated by all the people of the state, transcending caste and religion.

The Chief Minister added that there were attempts to “divide society” but the apex court’s verdict upheld government’s stand.

He wrote, “However, systematic misinformation was spread against this, and attempts were made to divide society. I believe that the Supreme Court’s verdict has now validated our government’s position.”

“I hope that Mother Chamundeshwari grants wisdom to those divisive minds that sow the seeds of discrimination based on caste and religion,” he added.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta dismissed the matter, saying the preamble says we are secular, and this is a state programme, and the state can’t distinguish.

The advocate for the petitioner contended that Puja inside the temple is not a secular act and it is part of the ceremony. He said the Karnataka government’s decision to allow a non-Hindu to perform ‘Agra Puja’ at the Chamundeshwari temple for the inauguration of Dasara in Mysuru would hurt Hindu sentiments. (ANI)