The High Court of Karnataka on September 15 declined to interfere with the State Government’s decision to invite writer and activist Banu Mushtaq, whose collection of Kannada short stories translated to English won the international Booker award 2025, to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara festival, which begins on September 22.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi passed the order while dismissing petitions filed by Pratap Simha, a former member of Parliament from Mysuru, Girish Kumar T., Sowmya R. and H.S. Gaurav from Bengaluru.
“We are not persuaded to accept the arguments that an invitation to a person of different faith violate constitutional or legal right,” the bench said while pronouncing the operative portion of the order.
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.
Ms. Mushtaq had made known in her speech at the literary event that the State had kept her away from Kannada by giving the status of goddess to Kannada language, it was argued by Mr. Simha’s advocate while pointing out that her remark makes it clear that she has no faith in worshipping a Hindu goddess. Mr. Simha said he had no objection to invite her if she withdraws her “anti-Hindu and anti-Kannada” statements.
