Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 28 : Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president BY Vijayendra on Thursday hit out at Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over his "Chamundi Hills is not only for Hindus" remarks, and claimed that it was an insult to Hindu traditions and beliefs.
Vijayendra questioned the Siddaramaiah government for inviting renowned Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq to open the Mysuru Dasara and not Deepa Bhasthi, who is the first Indian translator to win an International Booker Prize for translating Mushtaq's 'Heart Lamp'.
"The problem is not with the BJP but with the mindset of the ruling Congress party. Recently, I have seen DK Shivakumar's statement on Chamundi Hills. The statements of Congress leaders are an insult to Hindu traditions and beliefs, whether it is DK Shivakumar's statements or the invitation to Banu Mushtaq. Why did Siddaramaiah not think of inviting both Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi?" the Karnataka BJP president said.
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. 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.
The controversy arose when Shivakumar responded to criticism from Yaduveer Wadiyar, a member of the Mysuru royal family, regarding the state government's decision to invite writer Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the 2025 Mysuru Dasara festival in the Goddess Chamundeshwari temple.
In a post on X, Shivakumar urged critics not to communalise the iconic festival, emphasising its inclusive nature.
In his statement, Shivakumar said, "Our region's festival - Dasara, our region's deity - Chamundeshwari. Chamundeshwari Mother is the presiding deity of our region. Those who worship her, believe in her, and honour 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 worshipping the Mother."
He further accused the BJP of creating controversy, stating, "Creating controversy is the BJP's principle! Everyone from all religions and communities has access to Chamundi Hill. They pray to the Goddess. Our Durga Devi removes everyone's sorrows."
Shivakumar highlighted the universal appeal of the festival, noting that people from across the country and abroad participate in Dasara, and the royal family has historically supported its inclusive nature.
The Deputy CM concluded by urging against politicising religion, adding, "One should not do politics in the name of religion; even that Mother would not approve of it!"