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Capt Brijesh Chowta alleged that police were cracking down on Janmashtami, Ganesha Chaturthi and other festivals, citing cut-off timings and disrupting cultural programmes
Capt Brijesh Chowta. (Facebook)
“Why are you not allowing the celebrations of our Hindu festivals and using the police to restrict us?” questioned Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta, targeting the Siddaramaiah government for what he called “Emergency-like restrictions” on Hindu festivities.
Accusing the Congress regime of behaving “worse than the British Raj”, Chowta said: “We have heard from our elders that during the Emergency, people were not allowed to celebrate festivals. Maybe Siddaramaiah has taken a page from that and is trying to implement it now.”
The MP alleged that police were cracking down on Janmashtami, Ganesha Chaturthi and other festivals, citing cut-off timings and disrupting cultural programmes. “The Congress is trying to crush the voice of Hindus,” he said.
Hindu organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, have submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, seeking exemption from restrictions on loudspeakers and procession timings during the Ganesha festival and Dasara. They have demanded that the administration relax restrictions for the Ganesha celebrations scheduled between August 27 and September 2, and extend the same to Dasara festivities between October 1 and 3.
Chowta told News18 that while loudspeaker restrictions existed even under BJP rule, the police never interfered with festivities. “Now it appears that the government has given specific instructions to the police to disturb Hindu celebrations,” he alleged.
Detailing the police’s approach, Chowta said: “They come and take away the speakers. If it is a festival, there will be cultural dance, Bharatnatyam, stage programmes, theatre. They come and stop it. Who are they trying to appease? In a festival will there not be celebrations, dance and drama which will be held in the night as people will come to watch it?”
He added: “On one hand, you have DK Shivakumar making sweeping comments about Hindus and now their government is imposing such restrictions.” The MP accused the Congress government of deliberately targeting Hindus in coastal Karnataka by “using the police to hurt sentiments”.
Referring to recent guidelines issued by Mangaluru City and Dakshina Kannada district police, which restrict DJ systems and prohibit festivities beyond 10pm, Chowta said: “In Tulunadu, throughout the year, there are socio-cultural and religious programmes. But Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri are the biggest. The way Tulunadu celebrates them, the government is trying to curb it.”
Recalling when Mangaluru police booked organisers and seized sound systems during a Mosaru Kudike celebration in Kavoor, Chowta termed the move “deplorable”.
He warned that the government would have to face consequences if it continued “to meddle with Hindu sentiments”.
The memorandum submitted to the administration said these are not routine events but centuries-old cultural traditions of Dakshina Kannada. It highlighted that people gather in large numbers for processions, music, Yakshagana, dance and other performances, and that curbing loudspeakers or imposing cut-off timings hurts the very spirit of the festivals.
It urged the administration to consider Tulunadu’s unique socio-cultural and religious traditions before issuing permissions. “While law and order considerations are important, blanket restrictions send out the wrong message and disrupt long-standing traditions,” it said.
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t…Read More
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t… Read More
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