A day after the Organising Committee announced Mahisha Dasara celebration on October 13 ahead of Mysuru Dasara, Mysuru MP Pratap Simha and Krishnaraja MLA T.S. Srivatsa on Friday expressed their strong opposition to the celebration and urged the State government not to allow it to happen “since it will hurt the feelings of a lot of believers”.
Both of them said the BJP is ready for a face-off on the issue if the celebration was permitted despite its opposition.
The organising committee had claimed that the State government has given its permission to hold Mahisha Dasara and said the floral offerings will be made to the statue of Mahishasura atop Chamundi Hills on October 13 at 11 a.m. A stage function of the event may be held on the foothills in view of space issues following preparations for Nada Habba.
Opposing the celebration, Mr. Simha told reporters that the BJP, when in power, had not allowed Mahisha Dasara and urged the district administration and the city police not to allow the organisers to hold the event.
“I am prepared for a showdown if need be and I’ll go to Chamundi Hills on the day to oppose (Mahisha Dasara). If at all the organisers want to celebrate Mahisha Dasara, let them celebrate it in their homes but not on Chamundi Hills as the people have a strong belief in the goddess and the celebration will be seen as an insult to the belief,” he argued.
The MP said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in his last term, had allowed Mahisha Dasara but he must intervene now and stop the celebration this time since the people of Mysuru worship the goddess and the Chamundi Hills. “Whoever may be in power, the presiding deity of Mysuru will always be Goddess Chamundeshwari.”
MLA T.S. Srivatsa asked the organisers, “Will your family members whom I presume and believe worship the goddess, join the celebration of Mahisha Dasara?”
Accusing the Congress of weakening society by allowing such events, he said his party will not allow the celebration to happen at any cost.
He said not just the people of Mysuru, but the people in the country will oppose it and stage protests if such a thing was allowed to happen. The BJP, over the last few years, did not allow Mahisha Dasara to happen and this year too it will not allow it to be held. “The people of Mysuru too will raise their voice against the idea of Mahisha Dasara,” he claimed.
