Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses BJP of politicising Dharmasthala and Chamundi Hill

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah termed the BJP’s ‘Dharmasthala Chalo’ rally political theatrics and said it will not yield them any benefit. He defended inviting Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate Mysuru Dasara, emphasizing the festival’s inclusive nature

Mysuru (Karnataka): Terming the BJP’s “Dharmasthala Chalo” rally as “politics”, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that the opposition party will not get any political benefit from it, which they expect.

Calling the BJP’s conduct in the Dharmasthala and Chamundi hill issue “hypocrisy”, the Chief Minister said, they feel that Hindus will unite with them because of what they are doing, but they are wrong. “I’m also a Hindu.” BJP leaders and legislators are holding a “Dharmasthala Chalo” rally in this temple town on Monday, condemning the alleged conspiracy and smear campaign against Dharmasthala. They have also demanded an NIA probe into the case.

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“Let them (BJP) do it, they are doing things for politics. They feel that they will benefit from it politically, but they won’t get any benefit. We (Congress) have a lot of respect for Dharmasthala and Lord Manjunatha. But they are doing politics,” Siddaramaiah said in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, “Why did they not do it (agitation) at the beginning when the SIT was formed? After so many days, on getting to know that nothing was found (in excavations), they have started it. Isn’t it hypocrisy?” To a question on the BJP warning ‘Chamundeshwari temple chalo’ on the Chamundi hill and temple issue, the CM said, the BJP feels that Hindutva will get strengthened by doing such things, and Hindus will unite with them.

“I’m also a Hindu…..Haven’t we built Rama Mandira in our village? Hindus mean — it is not about doing politics, false propaganda, and lying in their name. There should be humanity, whoever it is. If one doesn’t have humanity and has inhuman behaviour, they are not humans,” he added.

BJP leader R Ashoka on Sunday had warned about launching ‘Chamundeshwari Devastana (temple) chalo’ rally, alleging that the Hindu religious centres are being targeted by the ruling Congress, as part of a “tool kit”, by claiming that the Chamundi Hill, which houses the famous Chamundeshwari Temple and the Goddess there, does not belong to Hindus alone.

A controversy has erupted after Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar last week said Chamundi Hill and Goddess Chamundeshwari belonged to every religion, and it was not the property of Hindus alone, a statement that drew sharp response from the opposition BJP. Accusing the BJP of trying to do politics in Mysuru Dasara, Siddaramaiah asked, Do they know anything other than lying.

“Banu Mushtaq is a Kannada writer. She is invited to the Dasara inauguration as she is the International Booker Prize winner. How many have got this prize? As a mark of respect to her achievement, she has been invited to inaugurate Dasara,” he said, adding that few people are doing it, it is not that all Hindus are with them.

Responding to a question about the controversy becoming big after D K Shivakumar’s remarks, CM said, “I won’t say whether it is the property of Hindus or Muslims. It may be a property of Hindus, but Dasara is a Nada Habba (State festival), which is celebrated by all Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains together.

We are celebrating it that way.” Not wanting to react to Shivakumar’s statement, he said, “I don’t know. But this Dasara celebration does not belong to Hindus alone. We are celebrating Mysuru Dasara, Chamundi Hill is not the subject.”

Objections have been raised by BJP leaders and others to the State government’s decision to invite Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the Dasara festivities, following an old video that went viral, in which she has reportedly expressed reservations about worshipping the Kannada language as “Goddess Bhuvaneshwari”.

Several BJP leaders, including its state President B Y Vijayendra and Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, on Monday asked Mushtaq to clarify her reverence towards Goddess Chamundeshwari before consenting to inaugurate the Dasara. However, Mushtaq, on her part, has said that her statement has been distorted by making selective parts of her old speech go viral on social media.