The selection of acclaimed Booker Prize-winning author Banu Mushtaq, a Muslim, to inaugurate the world-renowned Mysuru Dasara festival has ignited a fierce controversy, with prominent BJP leaders vehemently objecting on religious grounds. Former MP Pratap Simha and suspended BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal have spearheaded the opposition, arguing that the profoundly religious nature of the festival makes her participation in the core inaugural ritual inappropriate.
The crux of the objection centres on the traditional inauguration ceremony, which involves offering floral worship (Pushparchane) and lighting a lamp (Deepa) before the presiding deity, Ma Chamundeshwari, revered as the state deity (Nadadevate). Critics contend this ritual is inherently Hindu and requires the participant to acknowledge the Ma’s divinity – a tenet they believe conflicts with Islamic monotheism.
“Islam says there is no god but Allah. So how does Banu Mushtaq accept Ma Chamundi as God? Does her religion agree with her words?” questioned Pratap Simha forcefully during a media interaction. He further challenged the rationale behind her selection, contrasting it with other achievers: “Kantara’ film director Rishabh Shetty won a national award. Will he be invited to the inauguration of Dussehra? Can all award winners be invited? Kantara is a film that complements Hinduism. Its director and actor Rishabh. Will he be invited?”
Simha emphasised that Dasara is fundamentally a religious festival, not a secular cultural event. “Does Banu Mushtaq have faith in Mother Chamundi? Has Banu Mushtaq said that she is a devotee of Chamundi? Dussehra is a festival celebrated with devotion. This is a festival to show devotion to Mother Chamundi. How will Banu Mushtaq be a suitable person to inaugurate the religious symbol of Dussehra? This is my question,” he stated.
While acknowledging Mushtaq’s literary stature and her recent appointment as president of the Kannada Sahitya Sammelan, “There is no one to challenge her. We are proud of Banu Mushtaq. I am not raising a hue and cry because she is a Muslim. I have respect for Banu Mushtaq’s literature,” Simha drew a firm line regarding Dasara. “Dussehra is not a symbol of secularism. It is a religious festival,” he asserted, elaborating, “Dussehra is a 100 per cent religious festival. There is Durga Puja and Navratri festival. It is a religious festival. This is a religious festival started by the Yaduvansh. It is not a symbol of secularism. Dussehra will be inaugurated by worshipping Mother Chamundi.”
Simha also referenced a past incident involving leftist writer Baraguru Ramachandrappa, who allegedly refused to light a lamp or visit the temple during a Dasara inauguration, calling it an insult. He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of harbouring resentment towards the Wadiyar dynasty’s legacy and using this appointment as a form of retaliation: “Siddaramaiah is avenging his hatred for the Maharaja in various ways. Siddaramaiah has scolded him for ruining the Maharaja’s legacy in this way.”
MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal echoed similar sentiments in a post on social media platform X. “I personally respect Banu Mushtaq as a writer and activist. However, he believes that inaugurating Dussehra by offering flowers to the Ma Chamundeshwari and lighting a lamp is against his own religious beliefs,” Yatnal wrote. He called for clarity from Mushtaq: “Banu Mushtaq needs to clarify whether she still believes that Islam rejects idol worship and accepts one God and one scripture, or whether she believes that all paths ultimately lead to one salvation. Without this clarity, it is not right to inaugurate Dussehra.” Yatnal did suggest alternative roles for Mushtaq within the festival: “It is right for her to participate as a guest inaugurating cultural or literary events like poetry recitals held as part of the Dussehra festival.”
ನಾನು ವೈಯಕ್ತಿಕವಾಗಿ ಶ್ರೀಮತಿ ಭಾನು ಮುಶ್ತಾಕ್ ಅವರನ್ನು ಲೇಖಕಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಹೋರಾಟಗಾರ್ತಿಯಾಗಿ ಗೌರವಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಆದರೆ, ನಾಡದೇವತೆ ಚಾಮುಂಡೇಶ್ವರಿ ದೇವಿಗೆ ಪುಷ್ಪಾರ್ಚನೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿ ದೀಪ ಬೆಳಗುವುದರ ಮೂಲಕ ದಸರಾವನ್ನು ಉದ್ಘಾಟಿಸುವುದು, ಅವರ ಸ್ವಂತ ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ನಂಬಿಕೆಗಳಿಗೆ ವಿರುದ್ಧವಾಗಿದೆ.
ಇಸ್ಲಾಂ ಮೂರ್ತಿ ಪೂಜೆಯನ್ನು ಧಿಕ್ಕರಿಸಿ ಒಂದು…
— Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) (@BasanagoudaBJP) August 24, 2025
ನಾನು ವೈಯಕ್ತಿಕವಾಗಿ ಶ್ರೀಮತಿ ಭಾನು ಮುಶ್ತಾಕ್ ಅವರನ್ನು ಲೇಖಕಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಹೋರಾಟಗಾರ್ತಿಯಾಗಿ ಗೌರವಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಆದರೆ, ನಾಡದೇವತೆ ಚಾಮುಂಡೇಶ್ವರಿ ದೇವಿಗೆ ಪುಷ್ಪಾರ್ಚನೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿ ದೀಪ ಬೆಳಗುವುದರ ಮೂಲಕ ದಸರಾವನ್ನು ಉದ್ಘಾಟಿಸುವುದು, ಅವರ ಸ್ವಂತ ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ನಂಬಿಕೆಗಳಿಗೆ ವಿರುದ್ಧವಾಗಿದೆ.
ಇಸ್ಲಾಂ ಮೂರ್ತಿ ಪೂಜೆಯನ್ನು ಧಿಕ್ಕರಿಸಿ ಒಂದು…
— Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) (@BasanagoudaBJP) August 24, 2025
The objections highlight a deep-seated tension surrounding the interpretation of Dasara – whether it is primarily a religious ritual requiring specific faith adherence or a broader cultural celebration open to all.
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