Mysore/Mysuru, Aug. 25 -- Former MP Prathap Simha has strongly objected to the Karnataka Government's decision to invite International Booker Prize-winning author Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate this year's Mysuru Dasara festival.

Addressing media persons in city yesterday, Simha said that while he deeply admired Mushtaq's literary achievements, Dasara was not merely a cultural programme but a deeply Hindu religious festival rooted in devotion to Goddess Chamundeshwari.

"We hold immense respect for Banu Mushtaq's work. She deserves to be honoured as the President of a literary conference. But Dasara is a religious observance, not a secular event. It should not be inaugurated by someone whose beliefs do not align with its spiritual essence," ...