On November 29, Tuesday, a Muslim trader who had set up his shop near Harihara Subramanya Temple in Ponnampet in Karnataka’s Kodagu district, was stopped from conducting business near the Hindu temple.

In a video doing rounds on social media, Ambika, a college professor and the district coordinator of the Durga Vahini, said that the Muslim trader could have come here with his real identity card. “Despite being told that non-Hindus will not be allowed to do business here, they are doing so using fake ID cards such as Aadhaar cards with Hindu names.”

In Bengaluru’s VV Puram locality, Hindu rights groups called for a boycott of Muslim traders during the religious fair at the Subramanya Swami temple. On November 29, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal submitted a memorandum to Tushar Giri, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner and South Bengaluru DCP P Krishnakant, seeking a ban on Muslim traders near Hindu temples. 

Notably, three Hindu activists were taken into preventive custody on Tuesday, after they warned to stage a protest against the decision to allow Muslim vendors to do business near the Hindu temple.

Uday Garudachar, BJP MLA for Chikpet, stated that Hindu traders could conduct business near dargahs and mosques. “The Hindu community does not bother others; a few individuals cause problems and raise objections,” he explained.

He clarified that no new rules would be imposed as a result of the Hindu activists’ demands. People of all faiths were granted permission.

“The old rituals will be followed. Giving opportunities only to Hindu traders is not feasible. If anyone attempts to cause problems in the fair, legal action will be taken against them,” he said.

The Federation of Street Vendors Union in Bengaluru hitting out at the state government said that “banning of vendors from a particular religion is unconstitutional and the government’s silence reflects that their stance is anti-constitutional.”

Notably, the Hindu activists were opposed to the decision of allowing Muslim traders near Hindu temples. They argued that when Muslims do not allow Hindu traders to conduct business near Mosques and Dargahs, then why should such rules be imposed on Hindu fairs? Hindu activists also challenged the Chikpet MLA Garudachar to allow Hindu vendors near Mosques, to which the MLA responded saying that Hindu traders will be allowed to open shops in his constituency in surrounding areas of Mosques. He also assured legal action against those who bar Hindu traders from doing business.

Speaking about the boycott calls, Hindu Jagran Vedike leader, Shrikanth told the media that the group demands a ban on non-Hindu traders from doing business near Hindu temples including Anjanadri Hills.

Shrikanth while referring to the recent arrests in terror accused cases said that “Hindu temples are on target of anti-national elements.”

Notably, On November 19, an auto-rickshaw exploded in Mangaluru, Karnataka’s coastal town. The accused terrorist Mohammed Shariq was carrying a pressure cooker, and police found that there was an improvised explosive device (IED) inside the cooker which exploded. Recently, an Islamist terrorist outfit Islamic Resistance Council (IRC) claimed responsibility for the blast and also stated in a note that went viral on social media that the “Hindutva temple” in Kadri, Dakshina Kannada district was the target of the blast. The Karnataka DGP had called the blast an “act of terror”.

References:

opindia.com