Bengaluru: The Dasara inauguration row, where Booker Award winner Dr Banu Mushtaq has been invited as the Chief Guest for the inauguration is getting complicated day by day.
While the Jamia Masjid Imam has turned down pressure from Muslim leaders to issue Fatwa against Banu Mushtaq, Scion of Mysuru Royal family and MP Yaduveer Wadiyar has said that he would oppose Banu inaugurating Dasara, unless she clarifies her stand. Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has decided to stay away from the entire controversy.
Apart from BJP, there were pro and against groups among Muslims over Banu Mushtaq inaugurating Dasara, as it would mean that she would be endorsing the idol worship. A number of groups approached the Jamia Masjid and requested the Imam and Khateebof Jamia Masjid Prof Mohammed Maqsood Imran to issue Fatwa, prohibiting Banu Mushtaq from inaugurating the Dasara as it would go against the spirit of Islam.
He said that it was wrong to stop anyone from inaugurating any festivals. ``It is up to her (Banu Mushtaq) to be a Hindu or Muslim. In this country, we are all -- Hindu, Muslim, Christians and Sikhs living harmoniously. We should continue to do so,'' he said.
However, Imam Maqsood Imran had a word of caution also. ``When she could not see `Bhuvaneshwari' in Kannada language and could not identify herself with it, how can she identify herself with Goddess Chamundeshwari? It means, she should accept the idol worship. There will be rituals. The Chief Minister will take the Arati and put a tilak on forehead. She should think about it first,'' he added.
Meanwhile, stung by a row of controversies, including related to Dasara inauguration, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has decided to stay away from the issue itself.
He told the reporters: ``When I speak with good intentions, there are people who want to rake up controversies from them. They don't even spare gods. I will not speak about it anymore. There are other leaders and party spokespersons, who will speak about it,'' he said.
The statement made by Shivakumar that Chamundi Hills is not the property of Hindus had created a huge controversy. Even the Mysuru Royal Family Mother Pramoda Devi, Scion Yaduveer Wadiyar took strong objection to the statement and said that the government was trying to take away the temples from Hindus.
Yaduveer Wadiyar said that he wanted an explanation from the writer Banu Mushtaq over her 2023 statement, where she had said that she could not identify herself with `Arishina-Kumkum' and Kannada language being called Bhuvaneshwari.
``If she does not clarify her stand, I have a strong objection to the woman who does not believe in our tradition inaugurating Dasara. My final stand about the issue is the stand taken by my party (BJP),'' he added.
