BJP Karnataka president B.Y. Vijayendra has opposed reported police restrictions on bursting firecrackers on public roads during Ganeshotsav idol immersions, warning the Congress-led state government against measures he said could create tension around religious celebrations.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Vijayendra said nobody opposed police action against illegal activities during the festival. However, he said statements suggesting that firecrackers should not be burst even on public roads during idol immersions were unacceptable.
Vijayendra said entering a mosque and bursting firecrackers inside it would be illegal and should not be permitted. But he called it excessive to use that issue as the basis for prohibiting firecrackers on public roads more broadly.
He said the Hindu community had been celebrating festivals with peace and restraint and urged the government not to take steps that would test public patience. He warned that the government and the home minister would be responsible if restrictions, threats or unnecessary interference in religious practices led to tension and a deterioration in law and order.
The BJP state president also asked the home minister and senior police officials to examine the police officer’s reported statement immediately. He called for appropriate action if it was established that the officer had spoken in a threatening manner or beyond the limits of the law.
Vijayendra said his party would also instruct its workers not to violate the law. At the same time, he questioned whether restrictions on festival celebrations were justified, saying such a situation would raise the question of whether people were living in Pakistan.
He additionally urged the government to hold a special legislature session to discuss farmers’ problems, including water shortages and crop losses. He alleged that public money had been wasted in the name of cloud seeding despite severe drought conditions in the state. The supplied report does not include a response from the state government, home minister or police department to his remarks.
