Joint Forum of Secular Parties and Organisations opposes VHP’s call to boycott traders of other faiths at Mangaladevi Temple Navaratri festival

VHP divides people by calling to boycott traders of other faiths; Joint Forum of Secular Parties and Organisations of Dakshina Kannada, Mangaluru oppose call; VHP call violates Constitution; BJP using VHP, Bajrang Dal to polarise society ahead of LS election.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Tuesday, October 17, giving a call for people to do business with such traders who have displayed saffron flags in front of their temporary stalls put up for Navaratri on the Mangaladevi Temple Road, has to led to a controversy.

The Joint Forum of Secular Parties and Organisations of Dakshina Kannada, Mangaluru which opposed the call said in a statement that the government should file a case against such leaders who have given the call and they should be arrested. The VHP is dividing people by giving a call to boycott traders of other faiths.

The call was given by H.K. Purushottam, president, Dakshina Kannada unit of the VHP who said in a statement that according to the Hindu Religious Institutions And Charitable Endowments Act, passed in 2002, it is prohibited to lease out the space near a Hindu religious institution to a person of another faith. But the administration of Mangaladevi Temple has allowed persons of other faiths to do business on the Car Street of the temple by putting up their stalls. The VHP has no objection if persons of other faiths did business outside the Car Street. The VHP is appealing to the government to allow only Hindus to put up stalls during the temple fairs and festivals.

Condemning the statement, the general secretary of the forum and also State president of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) Muneer Katipalla said that people of all faiths joined the Navaratri celebrations of Mangaladevi Temple since centuries. People of all faiths enjoyed the dasara tiger dance in the vicinity of the temple did business in the temporary stalls. People of all faiths by joining together had risen above the limitations of caste, creed and religion.

He said that the road in front of the temple belonged to Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC). The stalls have been put on its land.

The forum said that it is a crime to give a call to boycott traders of other faiths at the temple festival. It is violation of the Constitution. The police and district administration should take it seriously and take legal action against persons trying to disturb peace in society.

Mr. Katipalla alleged that the BJP was using the VHP and Bajrang Dal to polarise the society ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha election by experimenting with the Mangaladevi Temple festival. People of the coastal belt should uphold the tradition of unity.