Karnataka orders Go Puja at temples on Wednesday amid bitter fight with BJP over RSS

Karnataka’s Muzrai’s minister Ramalinga Reddy has ordered Go Puja or worship of cows at all government-administered Hindu temples in Karnataka on Wednesday on the Bali Padyami festival.

The minister’s order comes in the middle of a bitter war of words between the IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge and BJP leaders after the government mandated prior permission for organisations to hold an event at a public place to make life difficult for the RSS to hold its Shakhas / Baitaks.

Reddy’s religious endowment department on Tuesday issued a circular to all Muzrai temples, asking authorities to bathe cows and decorate them with turmeric, vermilion and flowers and perform poojas in the evening as Go Mata is a revered god for Hindus. Cows, the circular said, enjoy a special place for Hindus in both cultural and religious context.

In January 2004 also, the minister had, similarly, ordered special poojas at all Hindu temples, joining the celebrations at Ayodhya when Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the new Ram Mandir.

Reddy at that time, had said Hindus have been worshipping Lord Ram for thousands of years, and the Lord belongs to all of us, amid accusations by the BJP leaders of the government trying to muzzle the voice of Hindu activists.