Bengaluru, Aug 27: A day after apologising for reciting the RSS anthem in the Legislative Assembly, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stirred another controversy by claiming that the Chamundi Hills in Mysuru is not the property of Hindus.
Responding to criticism over Booker Award winner Banu Mushtaq inaugurating the Dasara celebrations in the state, Shivakumar said, “There is entry for people of all religions to Chamundi Hills. They pray before the deity, and it is not a Hindu property.”
He added, “We go to mosques, dargahs, Jain basthis, and gurudwaras. Has anyone stopped us from entering? Have we prohibited others from coming to our temples? Then why is there no board in Ayodhya saying only Hindus should come?”
However, Mysuru royal family scion and BJP MP Yaduveer Wadiyar strongly disagreed, calling Shivakumar’s remark “laughable.” He argued that the Chamundi temple was Hindu property and that Dasara had been celebrated for centuries with traditional rituals. Wadiyar added that allowing a “non-believer” like Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate Dasara was an attack on Hindu traditions.
Shivakumar countered, saying Wadiyar must have forgotten his family’s history after joining the BJP. He pointed out that during the Wadiyars’ rule, foreign guests were invited to Dasara celebrations, including religious representatives. He also recalled that Kannada poet Nissar Ahamed had earlier inaugurated Dasara without controversy.
“The BJP doesn’t follow Hinduism as much as we do. I am not against anyone, nor am I appeasing anyone. Everyone should get an opportunity. Show me one example where it is said that people from other religions cannot enter Hindu temples,” Shivakumar said.
Yaduveer Wadiyar clarified that while Chamundi Hills is open to all devotees, Chamundeshwari Devi is a Hindu goddess referenced in the Markandeya Purana. He stressed that Dasara is fundamentally a Hindu festival, celebrated according to the Hindu calendar, and not an event to be reshaped at will.
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje also reacted, questioning, “If Chamundi Hills is not Hindu property, then whose is it?” To this, Shivakumar quipped, “It is government property.”
Former Mysuru MP Prathap Simha also criticised the move, demanding clarity over Banu Mushtaq’s earlier statements questioning the concept of Bhuvaneshwari. He further attacked Shivakumar over the Kapali Hills controversy in Kanakapura, where a proposal to erect a Jesus Christ statue had triggered protests.
“We don’t need to learn the essence of Hinduism from someone who donated a Shiva hill to Christians in his native place. For votes, Shivakumar keeps calling people from other religions his brothers and lets them do whatever they want,” Simha said.
