Karnataka to axe law VHP used to oppose Muslim IAS officer's role in temple festival

Bengaluru: After VHP opposed Dakshina Kannada district's Muslim DM officiating the Puttur temple festival, the Karnataka government has decided to repeal an act of 1997. The VHP had used the act to oppose the DM's involvement in the temple festival.

According to the state government, the act is being repealed to uphold the secular nature of the Constitution.

The Karnataka Assembly witnessed huge uproar over the issue on Tuesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposed the government's decision but the Speaker backed the DM suggesting the government that it could amend the law within 24 hours to provide legal backing to the IAS officer to preside over the temple festival in his official capacity.

The VHP and the Bajrang Dal had opposed the mention of IAS officer AB Ibrahim's name in the invitation card of a function of Mahalingeshwara temple, near Mangaluru.

It's the first time a bureaucrat's name was dragged into such a debate. Ibrahim, who has attended several meetings with management committee of local temples, had expressed his displeasure with the sudden turn of events.

"This is not the first time my name is in the card, in the last two occasions also my name was there. I have been conducting this kind of temple administrative activities for over 2 years. Nobody has raised such kind of an issue in the past," Ibrahim had claimed.

The government also came to the fore to defend the officer. "It is not about caste or creed, it is the post of DC. As DC he is in charge of A grade temples," Minister from Mangalore UT Khader had said.

State Home Minister G Parameshwara also claimed such issues were being raised to "create disharmony, nothing else."

Karnataka has more than 50,000 Hindu temples administered by the state government which come under the Muzrai or the Religious Affairs Department. The Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrates are heads of all Hindu temples which come under the Muzrai department. They are in charge of the administration, but consult the local temple management in the process.