CM Siddaramaiah defends inviting Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate Mysuru Dasara
Mysuru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday once again defended the decision to invite International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate this year's Mysuru Dasara, reiterating that the festival is celebrated by everyone as 'Nada Habba' (state festival).
To a question about the BJP's 'Chamundeshwari temple chalo' rally on Chamundi hill, the CM said, "Let them do it, who said no?"
BJP leaders, including R Ashoka, have 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 "toolkit" by claiming that the Chamundi Hill which houses the famous Chamundeshwari Temple and the Goddess there does not belong to Hindus alone.
On the controversy over inviting Mushtaq to inaugurate the Dasara festival, Siddaramaiah said, "Mirza Ismail was the Diwan of Mysuru. The then Maharaja used to make him sit on the howdah along with him during the Dasara procession...in 2017 poet K S Nissar Ahmed had inaugurated the Dasara. Where were BJP and RSS then? "
Terming the Mushtaq's alleged comments regarding -- Kannada being worshiped as Goddess "Bhuvaneshwari" and Kannada flag having the colours of arishina (turmeric yellow) and kumkuma (vermillion red) -- as a "different issue", he said, "I don't know whether she had said such things. But, she is a writer in Kannada. Without affection or love for Kannada can she write in Kannada? She has won the International Booker Prize for her work."
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 have asked Mushtaq to clarify her reverence towards Goddess Chamundeshwari before consenting to inaugurate the Dasara festival. 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.
Dasara is traditionally inaugurated by showering flowers on the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru and its royals, amid chanting of Vedic hymns, at the premises of Chamundeshwari temple atop the Chamundi Hills in Mysuru.
Responding to a question on a reported statement by BJP leaders that they have no objections if Mushtaq comes to inaugurate Dasara, adorning herself with turmeric, vermillion and flowers, the CM hitting out at the opposition party said, Mysuru Dasara is Nada Habba (state festival), and people of all faiths participate and celebrate it.
"She belongs to the Muslim community. Is it there in her religion to do such things? How can you ask someone from another religion to apply vermillion, become a Hindu to participate in the Nada Habba?" he asked.
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Ex-PM Devegowda warns opposition of electoral losses if they continue to allege 'vote chori'
New Delhi (PTI): Former Prime Minister H D Devegowda on Monday said the Opposition parties would "suffer" if they continue to raise allegations of "vote chori" and create suspicion in the minds of voters by blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.
Participating in a discussion on election reforms in the Rajya Sabha, he criticised the Opposition for making a mockery about the Prime Minister "in the streets and on the public platform".
"This (India) is a very big country. A large country. Congress may be in three states. Remember my friends please, by using the words 'vote chori' you are going to suffer in the coming days. You are not going to win the battle," Devegowda said, referring to the Opposition members.
He asked what the Opposition is going to earn by "blaming Narendra Modi's leadership and creating a suspicion in the mind of the voters" through the claims of "vote chori".
"What has happened to their minds? Let them rectify," Devegowda said.
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The former prime minister said that during his over seven decades of public life, he has never raised such issues of vote theft despite facing defeat in elections.
He also cited a letter written by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru regarding inclusion of "18,000 votes" (voters) in Kerala.
"Why I am telling this (because) during the Nehru period also, there were certain lapses in the electoral system," said Devegowda, who was the prime minister between June 1, 1996 and April 21, 1997.
He said that the Congress party faced defeat in the recent Bihar elections despite raising the issues of mistakes in the electoral rolls.
"What happened after that even after so much review (of voters list). Think (for) yourself! You got six MLAs," the senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader said.
Devegowda questioned the Opposition as to why they want to make allegations against the prime minister on the issue of the voters list?
"Election Commission is there. Supreme Court is there. The Election Commission has given direction to all the state units to rectify all these things," he said.
Devegowda said people of the country have full confidence in Narendra Modi's government and it will come back to power after the next Lok Sabha elections as well.
K R Suresh Reddy, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party's Rajya Sabha member from Telangana, said that electoral reforms are the backbone for a healthy democracy.
He said a large and diverse nation like Indi needs clean electoral rolls.
Asserting that strict re-verification should not become a mechanism for exclusion, Reddy said no eligible voter should lose their right to vote simply because accessing paperwork is difficult.
He said while the concern definitely is on the voters' exclusion, "we should also be equally concerned about the percentage of voting."
"What is happening in voting today? Once the election ends, the drama begins. The biggest challenge that the Indian democracy has been facing in spite of two major Constitutional amendments has been the anti-defection. Anti-defection is the name of the game today, especially in smaller states, especially where the legislatures are small in number," Reddy said.
The senior BRS leader suggested creation of a parliamentary committee "which would constantly look into the defection" and "ways and means to cutting that".
AIADMK's M Thambidurai raised the issues related to election campaigning.
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"Election campaigns are one of the important election processes. In that, political parties must be given the proper chance to campaign," he said and cited problems faced by his party in Tamil Nadu in this regard.
Thambidurai said political parties were facing hardships in Tamil Nadu to conduct public meetings and to express their views to the public.
YSRCP's Yerram Venkata Subba Reddy stressed on bringing electoral reforms at both the state and national levels.
He also suggested replacing Electronic Voting Machines with paper ballots in all future elections.
"EVM may be efficient but can't be trusted. Paper ballot may not be efficient but can be trusted. You need trust in democracy," Reddy added.
