SC to hear plea challenging Karnataka government’s Dasara invite to ‘non-Hindu’ Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq

The Supreme Court on Thursday (September 18, 2025) agreed to hear a petition challenging the Karnataka government’s decision to invite Booker Prize winner and activist Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the historical Mysuru Dasara festival on September 22, which has triggered a political slugfest between the Congress government and the State’s BJP leadership.

Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai agreed to list the case filed by Bengaluru resident H.S. Gaurav urgently after it was orally mentioned by a counsel, who said a “non-Hindu has been invited to perform the agrahara puja in the Chamundeshwari temple as part of the Dasara festival in Karnataka”.

HC refuses to intervene

A Division Bench of the High Court, on September 15, declined to interfere with the State’s invitation to the writer. The High Court had highlighted the secular character of the nation, while noting its objection to “arguments that an invitation to a person of different faith violates constitutional or legal right”. The High Court had dismissed petitions filed by Pratap Simha, a former member of Parliament from Mysuru, Girish Kumar T., Sowmya R. and Mr. Gaurav.

In the High Court, Mr. Simha had questioned the invitation to Ms. Mushtaq primarily due to her alleged “anti-Hindu and anti-Kannada” comments at a literary event in 2023, and also inviting her without consulting representatives of the Mysuru royal family.

The State government had argued that it was performing a secular function in organising the Dasara festival in Mysuru. Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar had also commented to the media that Chamundi Hills in Mysuru was open to people of every faith.

On the other hand, BJP MLC CT Ravi had reportedly said that it was “not right for a person with uncertain faith to preside over a religious event”.

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