Banu Mushtaq inaugurating Dasara is right decision, people have accepted it: Siddaramaiah
Mysuru, Sep 22 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday strongly defended his government's decision to invite International Booker Prize winner writer Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate Mysuru Dasara, and said majority people of the state have accepted it, and it has brought respect for the state.
He said Dasara is not a festival of any one religion or caste, it is a festival of all. It is "Nada Habba" (state festival), the festival of the people.
The famous 11-day Dasara celebrations commenced in this city of palaces on Monday amid religious and traditional fervour, with Mushtaq inaugurating it.
The inauguration took place amid controversy, with objections from some sections against the government's decision to invite Mushtaq.
"Banu Mushtaq may be a Muslim woman by birth, but she is a human being first. Humans should love and respect each other and there should be no hate based on one's caste and religion, as it is not the characteristic of humanity," Siddaramaiah said.
Addressing the gathering after the inauguration of Mysuru Dasara, he said, "If we accept humanity, we should accept people belonging to any caste, religion or class --participating in the celebration of Nada Habba. Majority of the people of this state have accepted Banu Mushtaq inaugurating Dasara."
"Banu Mushtaq inaugurating Dasara this year is a right decision and it is something that has brought respect for Karnataka. So I congratulate Mushtaq on behalf of the people and the government," he added.
Pointing out that the High Court and Supreme Court have taught proper lessons to those who approached them opposing the government's invitation to Mushtaq to inaugurate Dasara, the CM said, courts have asked them to read the preamble of the Constitution.
"Everyone should understand that our Constitution is secular. We are a society where there is unity in diversity, irrespective of our religion and castes, we are all Indians. Those who are opposed to the Constitution try to distort it, such people are selfish," he said.
Appreciating Mushtaq's inaugural address, Siddaramaiah said, even he cannot speak like her.
"She has spoken aptly and meaningfully in the given situation, being a poet, writer and the inaugurator. I hope everyone has understood her message. Probably she has opened the eyes of even those who opposed her, even those who opposed her are happy internally," he said, as he lauded her work being part of a farmer organisation, as an activist, Kannada writer and poet.
The controversy opposing the government's decision to invite her, stems from allegations that Mushtaq has made statements in the past that are perceived by some as "anti-Hindu" and "anti Kannada".
Critics argue that her selection for the festival, which traditionally begins with Vedic rituals and floral offerings to Goddess Chamundeshwari, disrespects religious sentiments and long-standing traditions associated with the event.
Objections have been raised by BJP leaders and others to the state government's decision to invite 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", stating that it was exclusionary to people like her (minorities).
Several BJP leaders had 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.
Noting that Dasara celebration was started by kings of the Vijayanagara empire and after its collapse, Mysuru kings under Raja Wadiyar I started celebrating it in 1610 started, the CM said, Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan too celebrated Dasara during their rule over Mysuru in Srirangapatna.
He said, "People should know the history. By distorting history, doing things for the sake of selfishness and politics is an unpardonable offence. Whoever it is, no one should do politics in such matters. If you want to do politics, do it during the election. Unnecessarily, politics should not be done out of hate or to appease someone."
The Dasara festival this year will be an eleven-day grand event. There have been good rains this year, dams are filled and people of the state are happy, Siddaramaiah said.
He also listed out the success of his government's five guarantee schemes.
"The Karnataka government believes in secularism and equal rights and opportunities for all," he added.
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Pak police registers case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on LeT co-founder
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Lahore (PTI): Pakistan's Punjab Police on Friday registered a case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder Amir Hamza, who suffered bullet injuries in the attack in Lahore.
On Thursday, two unidentified gunmen riding on a bike opened fire on the vehicle of the private TV channel 24NewsHD TV, owned by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, on Peco Road in Lahore near the TV channel's office.
In the attack, Hamza suffered bullet injuries.
"The FIR has been registered against unidentified gunmen, but it is sealed forthwith," a senior police officer told PTI.
He said the intelligence agencies have taken over this case from the police, and they are currently investigating the matter.
The channel's religious programme host Justice (retd.) Nazir Ahmed Ghazi and Hamza were in the vehicle when it was attacked. Hamza was shifted to a hospital for treatment.
Punjab police on Friday said that "upon receiving information about the incident, the SSP Operations immediately reached the scene and a high alert was imposed in the area. SSP Operations Tauqeer Naeem also met the affected individuals. Thankfully, all present in the vehicle remained safe during the firing."
It further said senior police officers of the Township and Chung, along with a heavy police contingent, were present at the scene.
"Police collected evidence from the site and initiated an investigation. Efforts to arrest the suspects are underway using CCTV footage and geo-fencing techniques. Search and sweep operations are being conducted at various locations, with scrutiny of suspicious individuals ongoing," police said.
It added that those involved in the incident will be traced and arrested soon.
The police sources said that Hamza has been shifted to his residence in Jauhar Town, Lahore, where police and agency personnel met him.
The leadership of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political front of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's banned Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD), including Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed, also called on him.
TV host retired Justice Ghazi, who remained unhurt in the attack, remained a legal counsel for Hafiz Saeed, they said.
The PMML has strongly condemned the attack on Hamza and demanded that those involved in the incident be arrested immediately.
Hamza is regarded as LeT's second most important leader after its chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019 after getting convicted for several years in terror financing cases.
Hamza has been designated as a terrorist by the US. In the past, he served as the head of LeT's "special campaigns" department.
In 2018, Hamza formed a fundraising group for the LeT following a ban on the JuD and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation by the Pakistani government.
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