Thu Sep 18 06:15:53 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Supreme Court to Hear Challenge Against Karnataka’s Dasara Festival Invitation to Booker Prize Winner**
**NEW DELHI, September 18, 2025** – The Supreme Court has agreed to urgently hear a petition challenging the Karnataka government’s decision to invite Booker Prize-winning author and activist Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the historical Mysuru Dasara festival on September 22nd. The invitation has sparked a political controversy between the ruling Congress government and the state’s BJP leadership.
The petition, filed by Bengaluru resident H.S. Gaurav, alleges that inviting a “non-Hindu” to perform the traditional ‘agrahara puja’ at the Chamundeshwari temple, a key part of the Dasara festival, is inappropriate. Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai agreed to list the case after a counsel brought it to the court’s attention.
The Karnataka High Court previously declined to interfere with the invitation on September 15th, emphasizing the secular nature of the nation. The court dismissed petitions filed by BJP leaders who argued that inviting a person of a different faith violated constitutional or legal rights.
The state government maintains that organizing the Dasara festival is a secular function. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has stated that Chamundi Hills is open to people of all faiths. Mushtaq herself has said the invitation is an opportunity to fulfil a vow to Chamundeshwari Devi.
However, BJP figures like MLC CT Ravi have criticized the invitation, arguing it is “not right for a person with uncertain faith to preside over a religious event.” Pratap Simha, a former MP, had questioned the invitation due to Mushtaq’s alleged “anti-Hindu and anti-Kannada” comments at a literary event in 2023 and the lack of consultation with the Mysuru royal family.
The Supreme Court’s decision on this matter is eagerly awaited as it addresses the intersection of tradition, religious freedom, and secularism in modern India.
First Piper 