The Karnataka unit of BJP was on Wednesday, May 8, compelled to delete a second post in as many days from its official accounts on social media platforms over misleading and controversial posts targeting the Muslim community.
A post was taken down after the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government called out the misinformation reportedly peddled by the BJP over appointment of members to a temple committee.
Objecting to the appointment of a member of the Muslim community to the “Brahmarathotsava” (car festival) committee of the Avimukteshwara Swamy Temple of Hosakote, Karnataka BJP said the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state was attempting to loot and take control of Hindus temples and their resources by appointing non-Hindus.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Muzrai Ramalinga Reddy were quick to call out Karnataka BJP on this.
They pointed out that appointing a member from the Muslim community to the car festival committee was a practice followed for several years — and was implemented even during the BJP rule in the state.
Reddy noted that a non-Hindu was appointed to the panel in 2020 and 2021 as well, when BJP was at the helm in the state. He added that appointments happened on the recommendation of then-minister MTB Nagaraj.
Based on the recommendations of Hosakote MLA Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda, the Hosakote tahsildar on Monday issued an order appointing 12 members — including a member from a Muslim community.
BJP’s misinformation
In its latest misleading post, Karnataka BJP said: “Congress appointed ‘Nawaz’ to oversee the Brahmotsavam event at the Shri Avimukteshwara Swamy temple in Hosakote.”
.@BJP4Karnataka handle deletes post after being called out for misinformation.@BJP4Karnataka attacks @INCKarnataka for appointing a non-Hindu to oversee the Brahmostsavam event at the Shri Avimukteshwara Swamy Temple in Hoskote.
Deletes post after @INCKarnataka puts out… pic.twitter.com/1wmIq4N5yz
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) May 8, 2024
It added: “After attempting to loot our temples, the Hindu-hating CM Siddaramaiah now seeks to control temples and their resources by appointing non-Hindus.”
It also said: “Congress government in Karnataka appears to be in a hurry to implement Rahul Gandhi’s delusional ideas of stripping Hindus of their rights, to favour one particular community.”
It continued: “Today, it’s just one temple in Karnataka, tomorrow it might be every temple in India.”
After Karnataka BJP put up this misleading post on its official handle on X (formerly Twitter), several BJP leaders — including former national general secretary CT Ravi — shared the posts on their official accounts as well.
Congress calls out post
Within hours of Karnataka BJP putting out this post on social media, the Congress government — including Siddaramaiah and Ramalinga Reddy — called out the misinformation peddled by the Opposition party.
They buttressed their point with evidence, presenting the orders of the Hosakote tahsildar from previous years on the matter.
The Congress government claimed that the practice of appointing a member of the Muslim community to the car festival committee of the temple had been in place for several years, and that it happened even during the BJP rule in the state.
In an exclusive conversation with the South First, Minister for Muzrai Ramalinga Reddy said: “The annual Brahmarathotsava has been celebrated for a long time. A temporary committee is constituted every year at the time of the festival.”
#Karnataka minister Ramlinga Reddy deems BJP “fools” & “perverted” for @BJP4Karnataka‘s repeated “communal” posts.
Minister @RLR_BTM exclusively to @TheSouthfirst on nomination of a non-Hindu to oversee the Brahmostsavam event says: There is one minority nominated to the… https://t.co/vDq0I5HPGZ pic.twitter.com/tx7AXIRVOy
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) May 8, 2024
He added: “Almost everyone is a Hindu in this committee, which includes a sole member from the minority community. This has been the practice for 20-30 years.”
He also said: “In the last four years, BJP was at the helm in Karnataka. It, too, nominated one from the minority community for the temple committee. These previous nominations were made when BJP’s MTB Nagaraj was the minister.”
The minister then charged: “BJP nominated one from the minority community every year. Now, these are the very people levelling allegations. Why did they not prevent this in their regime? They (BJP) are all fools and perverts.”
Siddaramaiah hits back
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the state BJP of spreading false allegations against his Congress government. Like Reddy, he contended that the saffron party’s claims were debunked when it was revealed that similar appointments were made during its own tenure.
In his post on X, Siddaramaiah said: “The state BJP had made a false allegation that the Congress government was trying to usurp the power of the Hindus by appointing a member of the Muslim community to the Brahmarathotsava committee of the Avimukteswara Swamy temple in Hoskote.”
ತಾನು ಹೇಳಿದ ಸುಳ್ಳನ್ನು ಅಳಿಸಿಹಾಕುವುದೆಂದರೆ ವಾಂತಿ ಮಾಡಿ, ಅದನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿದವರೇ ತಿಂದ ಹಾಗೆ. ಸುಳ್ಳು ಹೇಳಿ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡ ರಾಜ್ಯ @BJP4Karnataka ನಾವು ಸತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಬಿಚ್ಚಿಟ್ಟ ಕೂಡಲೇ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ತನ್ನ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಆರೋಪದ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಅಳಿಸಿಹಾಕಿದೆ.
ಹೊಸಕೋಟೆಯ ಅವಿಮುಕ್ತೇಶ್ವರ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮರಥೋತ್ಸವ… pic.twitter.com/ciW8geo5Lj
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 8, 2024
He added: “Not only did I present the fact that Muslim community members were made members of this Brahmarathotsava committee even during the BJP government, but I also demanded that BJP delete its statement on social media and apologise to the people of the state.”
He also said: “As soon as the truth was revealed, the shameless BJP deleted its statement on social media. They have not yet apologised to the people of the state.”
Siddaramaiah also pointed out that the Avimukteshwara Swamy Temple was a testament to the Hindu heritage of equality of all religions, and people from all faiths participated with devotion and respect in every religious programme there.
After Congress put out the facts and questioned the BJP for misleading posts, the saffron cadre deleted — for the second time in as many days — the post from its social media account.
On Tuesday, after the ECI served notice, Karnataka BJP took down a post — that targeted Muslims — from all its official social media handles.
Edited by Arkadev Ghoshal, South First.
This article first appeared on South First and has been republished with permission.