Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have begun displaying saffron flags in front of Hindu traders’ shops at the Mangaladevi temple. This comes after a recent controversy regarding a ban on Muslim merchants at a fair was resolved.
HK Purushothama Dattanagara, the president of VHP Dakshina Kannada district, emphasized that during festivals, only Hindu merchants should be permitted to conduct business in all temples within the district. He expressed gratitude to the Mangaladevi temple’s management committee for providing this opportunity to Hindu merchants. However, Dattanagara criticized the district administration for reallocating stalls to non-Hindus in a re-auction.
The Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district festival traders coordination committee staged a protest, advocating for stalls to be allocated to Muslim merchants as well during the Navratri fair. Eventually, a few Muslim traders were allowed to participate through a spot auction.
Dattanagara raised concerns about this decision, citing the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act of 1997, which, he argued, does not permit non-Hindus to conduct business on the chariot street (ratha beedi). He emphasized that Hindu merchants rely on festival business for their livelihoods, and therefore, devotees should visit stalls with saffron flags.
Dattanagara asserted that religious places have a special significance for the Hindu community, and there is no provision for others to conduct business on the chariot street. He mentioned that there would be no objection if they conducted business elsewhere.
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) condemned the VHP’s actions, accusing them of causing division between poor Hindu and Muslim merchants. BK Imthiyaz, the district president of DYFI, urged the administration to ensure the protection of “all merchants” at the Mangaladevi temple and other shrines.
