Mysuru, September 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Mysuru-Kodagu BJP MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar has said the party’s recent protest in T. Narasipura over a Ganesh procession was directed against the remarks of a police inspector and not against the Muslim community.
Speaking in Mysuru, Yaduveer said the BJP had protested against T. Narasipura Police Inspector Dhananjaya over his comments concerning a proposed procession near a mosque.
“We are opposed to the T. Narasipura police inspector. For that reason, we have protested. We have not protested targeting Muslims,” he said.
The controversy erupted after a peace meeting ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, during which the inspector warned organisers against deviating from approved routes and bursting firecrackers in front of a mosque. BJP leaders interpreted the remarks as restrictions on the procession and demanded action against the officer.
Yaduveer questioned the language attributed to the inspector and said such remarks were inappropriate at a peace meeting. He also questioned whether a police officer should use such language while addressing members of different communities.
The BJP MP further alleged that the police had defended Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in the matter and questioned the public perception of such a response.
On criticism over BJP leaders wearing footwear while carrying Ganesh idols during the protest outside the T. Narasipura police station, Yaduveer said the idols being carried had not been installed. He maintained that the traditional restrictions concerning reverence for installed idols did not apply in the same manner to the idols carried during the street protest.
The BJP protest on September 13 was led by Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka and joined by Yaduveer, BJP MLA T.S. Srivatsa, former MP Pratap Simha and other party leaders. Several protesters, including BJP leaders, were detained and later released.
However, Mysuru Superintendent of Police Mallikarjuna Baladandi said there was no restriction on Ganesh processions in T. Narasipura and that traditional routes remained open. He said the inspector’s remarks were aimed at ensuring that organisers informed police about procession dates and routes so that adequate security arrangements could be made.
The police clarification also said the inspector had not prohibited processions from passing along Link Road or imposed a ban on Ganesh celebrations near the mosque. The controversy has nevertheless triggered a political dispute between the BJP and the Congress government in Karnataka.
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