Mysuru royal family scion urges writer Banu Mushtaq to clarify comments on Kannada, Goddess
Mysuru(PTI): BJP MP and the scion of Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Wadiyar on Friday urged International Booker prize winner Banu Mushtaq to clarify her position on the Kannada language and Goddess Chamundeshwari.
The MP’s demand follows the Karnataka government's decision to invite Mushtaq to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara festival this year, which involves rituals dedicated to Goddess Chamundeshwari. It has led to a controversy with the BJP questioning the choice of the state government.
Mushtaq won the prestigious award this year for the book ‘Heart Lamp: Selected Stories’, translated to English from her Kannada book ‘Edeya Hanate’ by Deepa Bhasthi.
Wadiyar demanded that Banu clarify her 2023 comments about the Kannada language.
In the viral video, Banu Mushtaq had reportedly said the practice of elevation of Kannada language to the status of Goddess and placing it inside a temple was exclusionary.
"We have not received any clarification yet. We have heard that she has said she has no problem in worshipping Goddess Chamundeshwari. If that’s true, then we don’t have any problem," the BJP MP told reporters in Mysuru.
Banu should clarify her stand because Chamundi Hill is a religious place and she would be required to worship the Mother Goddess, he said.
"We will welcome her if she accepts the background of religious rituals involved during the event. She has to first clarify why she said that (in 2023). It will be good if she withdraws her statement because it is a matter that has hurt the Hindu religious sentiments," Wadiyar said.
The MP said that while he welcomes the government's choice of Mushtaq, a clarification is needed before she participates in the religious ceremonies of the Dasara festival.
"It’s an obvious question because she has to explain that her action will not hurt Hindu sentiments during the cultural and religious event. She has to offer an explanation because this is a matter related to religion and the Kannada language. Kannada state and Kannada language is the Goddess, who is associated with Goddess Bhuvaneshwari," the MP said.
On Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s statement that Chamundi Hills and Goddess Chamundeshwari are not exclusive property of Hindus, Wadiyar called it the "most irresponsible".
“Chamundi Hill is very much a Hindu religious place and is one of the Shakti Peethas. Rishi Markandeya had installed the statue of Goddess here. There are traditions, which are all related to Hinduism,” the MP said.
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Dense fog disrupts operations at Delhi airport; 228 flights cancelled, 5 diverted
New Delhi (PTI): Dense fog disrupted flight operations at Delhi Airport on Monday, with various airlines cancelling 228 flights and diverting five to nearby airports due to low visibility, an official said.
However, except for Air India, which had in an X post in the morning announced the cancellation of some 40 flights, no other airlines, including crisis-hit IndiGo, shared the numbers of their cancelled or delayed flights.
"As many as 228 flights -- 131 departures and 97 arrivals-- have been cancelled due to low visibility, so far," the airport official said.
In addition to this, five flights have been diverted so far, he said.
Earlier, the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), in a statement, said, "Our on-ground officials are working closely with all stakeholders to assist passengers and provide necessary support across Terminals.
"Low visibility (below minima), due to dense fog, has severely impacted operations at Delhi and other airports across northern India, which is unfortunately beyond our control," IndiGo said in a statement.
As operations are adjusted to prevailing weather conditions, some flights may experience delays, while a few others may be proactively cancelled during the day to prioritise safety and minimise extended waiting at the airport, the airline said in a statement.
IndiGo, however, did not say how many of its flights were cancelled or delayed.
The airline said its teams are "closely monitoring" the situation and coordinating with Delhi airport.
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IndiGo also said it issued advisories to its customers and "proactively" informing them, to minimise inconvenience.
“Poor visibility due to dense fog in Delhi this morning has impacted flight operations for all airlines. We are closely monitoring conditions and will resume operations as soon as it is safe to do so,” Air India said in a post on X in the morning.
It also said that some flights have been cancelled In the interest of safety, and to avoid prolonged uncertainty for the guests, while listing out some 40 arrivals and departures that it had cancelled for the day.
Delhi airport is the country's busiest, handling around 1,300 flight movements daily.
