New Delhi: On the issue of keeping Non-Hindu traders away from temple fests and premises in Karnataka, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson of Biocon Ltd, has raised her voice over the issue. She has urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to resolve the growing religious divide in the state. She alerted that the country’s “global leadership” in tech and biotech was at stake.
Taking to Twitter she wrote, “Karnataka has always forged inclusive economic development and we must not allow such communal exclusion — if IT/BT became communal it would destroy our global leadership.”
In the Tweet tagging Bommai she wrote, “Please resolve this growing religious divide.”
In the following Tweet, she posted, “Our CM is a very progressive leader. I am sure he will resolve this issue soon.”
The campaign of blacklisting Muslim vendors from temples has spread in several states. Several temple committees organizing festivals have stated that they are disappointed with the curbs.
The curbs come after the hijab ban in the state’s government colleges that has been upheld by the High Court.
The management committee head of the Durgaparameshwari temple, which is said to have been built by a Muslim merchant, said that he was against the VHP’s demand of keeping Muslim traders out, but due to row Muslim vendors chose to stay away.
Over the past few weeks, groups like Bajrang Dal and VHP have demanded to impose a ban on Muslim traders at temple festivals in Dakshina Kannada and Shivamogga.
This week in an official statement in the state legislature, the Karnataka government said the restrictions on non-Hindus conducting business within the premises of temples are as per a rule introduced in 2002 under the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997. This rule, many vendors say, has been weaponized to turf them out.
The state said it would take measures to see that such restrictions on Muslim traders are not imposed outside of temple premises in public spaces.
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