AMN WEB DESK
In a major political development two BJP leaders in Karnataka A H Vishwanath, an MLC, and Anil Benake, an MLA, objected to restrictions being placed on Muslim traders from participating in temple festivals in parts of the state at the behest of right-wing groups.
According to Indian Express, Vishwanath, 72, questioned the silence of the BJP government and called the move to prevent Muslim traders from being a part of temple festivals “undemocratic”.
“This is all madness. No God or religion preaches these kinds of things. Religions are inclusive and not exclusive. The state government must intervene. I don’t know why the government is mum over this issue,” Vishwanath said in his home district of Mysuru on Sunday.
The former minister’s remarks came in the context of some temples in Udupi and Shivamogga barring Muslim traders from participating in temple festivals following demands by right wing groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishath, Hindu Jagarana Vedike, Bajrang Dal and the Sree Rama Sene.
The call to prevent Muslim traders from selling at temples has also now extended to temple festivals that are held during the current season in other parts of the state as well. The BJP government has justified the ban on Muslim traders as being a product of a rule introduced in 2002, during a Congress tenure, to bar non-Hindus from having shops in temple premises.
“How many Indians are there in England? How many Indians are there around the world? How many Indians are working in Muslim countries? If these countries decide to act against us, where will all this end up?” Vishwanath asked.
“The Muslims in India chose to live in India when the partition of India and Pakistan occurred. They did not go with Jinnah. We must ponder on this, they remained here to be Indians. They are Indians not people of some other nationality,” he added.
“I cannot understand on what basis they are targeting Muslim vendors and businesses. This is a very sorry affair in the state. The government must take action or there will be a reaction from the people,” he said. “People have livelihoods to feed themselves and cloth themselves and if there is no means of livelihood then what is the point of democracy, religion, caste – throw it all away. When there is no means to buy food, what are we searching for in this world.’
The MLC is a former Congress minister and former state president of the Janata Dal Secular party. The veteran OBC leader switched to the BJP from the JDS in 2019 to help the BJP and its leader B S Yediyurappa come to power in Karnataka. He was denied a cabinet berth after he was not elected to the state legislature but was instead nominated to the council. Vishwanath is known as a Kannada writer and novelist as well. He left the Congress party after a falling out with fellow OBC leader and former CM Siddaramaiah when the Congress was in power between 2013 and 2018.
Meanwhile, the BJP MLA from the Muslim dominated Belagavi North constituency Anil Benake has stated that he is not in favor of placing restrictions on Muslim traders at temple festivals.
“There is no question of imposing restrictions during temple festivals. If people impose restrictions then there is nothing that we can do. We will however not allow these things to happen. It is wrong to say that people should purchase only in some stores and not in other stores. Under the constitution everybody has equal rights. Anybody can conduct business anywhere and people must decide where they want to buy from, that is all. We will not impose restrictions,” said Benake, a Maratha leader.