Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said a decision on the celebration of Mahisha Dasara will be taken by the Mysuru district administration.
The Mahisha Dasara celebrations, scheduled for October 13, had pitted the organisers against Mysuru’s BJP MP Pratap Simha, who has given a call for Chamundi Betta Chalo on the same day to counter the celebrations.
When Mr. Siddaramaiah’s attention was drawn to the brewing confrontation between the organisers of the Mahisha Dasara and the opponents, the Chief Minister said Mahisha Dasara had been celebrated earlier also. However, he clarified that it was not the government, which is organising the Mahisha Dasara celebrations.
Meanwhile, former Mayor Purushotham, who addressed a press conference convened by organisers of Mahisha Dasara Saturday, said a bike rally comprising about 1,000 people will set out on October 13 from Ambedkar Park in Mysuru to Chamundi Hills, where they were shower flower petals on the statue of Mahishasura, as part of Mahisha Dasara.
After a 20 to 30 minute long programme atop Chamundi Hills, they will descend to Tavarekatte at the foothills, where a cultural programme by different troupes will be staged. A chariot featuring Mahishasura, Buddha, and Ashoka, besides a tableaux with portraits of Basavanna, B.R. Ambedkar, Kuvempu, Valmiki, and others will be flagged off.
The chariot and tableaux will pass through various residential areas of Mysuru before reaching Town Hall, where the stage programme of Mahisha Dasara will be inaugurated by former Minister B.T. Lalitha Naik.
Mr. Purushotham said the Mahisha Dasara will only seek to convey the “truth” about history and not to embarrass or insult anybody. He said their celebration was not against Chamundeshwari deity.
The practice of celebrating Mahisha Dasara had begun way back in 1973, but the organisers began celebrating it since 2015.
Mr. Purushotham came down heavily against Mr. Pratap Simha for calling for a confrontation on the issue of celebrating Mahisha Dasara, and called upon the authorities to arrest the BJP MP till the celebrations of Mahisha Dasara concluded.
Sri Gyanprakash Swamiji, who also addressed the press conference, said Mr. Pratap Simha was opposed to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Constitution of India if he were to oppose the celebration of Mahisha Dasara.
He called upon the government to ensure security for the people celebrating Mahisha Dasara. Police and the district administration should take up the responsibility of ensuring that the Mahisa Dasara celebrations are held peacefully, he said.
Writers K.S. Bhavavan and Krishnamurthy Chamaram also spoke at the press conference.
