Several Karnataka temples have barred Muslims from bidding for the temporary retail outlets that come up during annual festivals at these shrines.

The temples acted apparently under pressure from Sangh parivar organisations, which were unhappy with Muslim shopkeepers for downing shutters to protest a Karnataka High Court order upholding the hijab ban at government schools and colleges.

“Hindus were outraged by the shutdown enforced by Muslim traders, which is why we don’t want them at temple fairs,” Prakash Kukkehalli, divisional secretary with the Hindu Jagarana Vedike in Mangalore, told reporters.

Most Karnataka temples hold their annual festival between March and May. The organisers of the fest at the Mahalingeshwara temple in Dakshina Kannada district, scheduled for April 20, have banned Muslims from the auction for the right to set up the makeshift stalls that sell anything from bangles to food at the venue.

The Hose Marigudi shrine in Kapu, Udupi, where the festival ended on Wednesday, too had debarred Muslims from bidding for the stalls.

Questioned about the development in the Assembly, the state’s BJP government on Tuesday cited Congress-era rules that say no part of any temple premises should be leased to anyone other than Hindus.

However, this had so far not stood in the way of Muslims setting up stalls for a few days at temple fairs, nor did parivar members like Kukkehalli mention these rules. The festival venues tend to stretch beyond temple premises, but reports said saffron outfits had ensured Muslim traders stayed out of these areas too.

In Shimoga, Muslim traders have been kept out of the five-day Kote Marikamba temple festival that began on Tuesday.

Temple committee president S.K. Mariappa did not deny that Muslims were kept out of the auction but told reporters the decision to allot the shops had been left to the successful bidder who had leased the entire fairground for the duration of the festival.

“No one should believe such rumours. Muslims too come to the festival with rice and other items as offerings,” he said. “The successful bidder can sub-lease the shops according to his convenience — the temple committee cannot interfere.”

However, local sources said the lessee had, under pressure from parivar outfits, not sublet any shop to Muslims.

At the Mangalore suburb of Mulki in Dakshina Kannada, a hoarding announced a ban on Muslims from setting up stalls during the festival at the Bappanadu Durgaparameshwari temple.

“People who kill cows and do not respect law of the land will not be allowed to do business here,” it declared.

The temple authorities denied any role in the hoarding, which has been removed, but no Muslim had a stall there. Local sources said most of the stalls sported saffron flags.

Mangalore police commissioner N. Shashi Kumar told reporters an investigation would be launched into the hoarding if the civic authorities registered a complaint.

Udupi district Street Vendors’ and Traders’ Association secretary Mohammed Arif said he had never seen such a ban before.

“Of the (association’s) 700 registered traders, 450 are Muslim. Temple committees have barred us just when we were trying to make up for the losses incurred during the two Covid years,” he told reporters.

In the Assembly, law minister J.C. Madhuswamy said the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Rules, framed in 2002 when the Congress was in power, barred the leasing of any space on temple premises to non-Hindus.

“We will take action if any Muslim has been banned from setting up shop outside temple premises,” he said.

Congress members U.T. Khader and Rizwan Arshad, who had raised the matter, demanded action against those who had installed hoardings and distributed pamphlets asking temples not to lease the makeshift shops to Muslims.

Khader alleged that even roadside Muslim vendors were forcibly kept out of the vicinity of the temple festivals.

“The government must uphold the dignity of street vendors who work hard to feed their families. Some miscreants are trying to create a communal issue,” Khader said.

Arshad urged the government to “protect the constitutional rights of the Muslims”.