Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Mar 15: Local MLA, Shakuntala Shetty, said that after she was elected from this constituency, she has been taking abundant care to see that communal disturbances do not occur in her constituency. "Now, a controversy has been created with the inclusion of Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner (DC), A B Ibrahim's name in the invitation of Lord Mahalingeshwara temple car festival here. This has given rise to discordant notes. l am determined to remove his name from the invitation, even if that means printing of the invitation afresh at my personal cost," she stated.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday March 14, Shakuntala said that she has taken this issue with all the seriousness it deserves. She said she will see that controversy raised over this topic since some days reaches its logical conclusion. "There is nothing wrong in including the name of the deputy commissioner in temple invitation. However, as per rules of the religious endowments department, names of non-Hindus cannot be printed in temple festival invitations. I will instruct the concerned to set right this mistake. If the temple administration does not budge, I will get the rectified invitation printed at my own cost," she stressed.

She pointed out that the temple authorities could have just mentioned the post of the deputy commissioner in the invitation, without his name, in which case, there would not have been any problem. By including his name, they have provided an opportunity for people to raise objections, she felt. She presumed that this issue had not come to the notice of the DC, adding that her foremost concern is holding of car festival without giving an opportunity for any kind of disharmony. She stated that she will not allow anything that results in undermining the temple sanctity to occur, duly adding that she was not fighting against the government. She said that she proposes to reprint the invitation to pave way for smooth conduct of the annual festival without allowing for any discord.

The MLA exuded confidence of sorting out all the issues at a meeting of devotees being convened on March 16. She stated that like in the past, she will continue to abide by the sole principle of not allowing the cordial atmosphere to be vitiated.

Reacting to this development, Dakshina Kannada DC, A B Ibrahim, stressed that the invitation prepared by the temple management is in order, duly adding that no legal provisions have been transgressed. He added that he would personally talk to the MLA to convince her on this topic.

At another press conference held on the issue, local municipal councilor, Rajesh Bannur, criticized the DC for justifying inclusion of his name in the temple car festival invitation. He claimed that including names of non-Hindus in temple invitations clearly violates provisions of Hindu Religious Endowments Act. He reiterated that he and those demanding to remove the DC's name have nothing against the DC personally, and that there is no let up in their insistence on removing his name.

Chandrashekhar Rao Bappalige, Panduranga Hegde, Mohanas Rao and Anantaram were present at the press conference.

Administrative officer of the temple, Jagadish S, in the meantime, said that he has not received any order for reprinting of the invitation. react. He felt that a final decision on the issue may be taken at the meeting of devotees on March 16.