A day after BJP leaders led by MLA Arvind Bellad performed ‘Mulla Moksha Homa’ before Deputy Commissioner’s office in Dharwad, accusing violation of protocol during a government programme in Hubballi, Congress leaders have lashed out at Mr. Bellad accusing him of distorting facts and misleading the public on the issue.
Addressing a press conference in Dharwad on Saturday, Congress leader and president of Anjuman-e-Islam of Dharwad, Ismail Tamatgar, said that Mr. Bellad was making baseless allegations without checking the reality for political reasons.
“The programme was held at Vishalnagar in Hubballi and not at Siddharoodh Mutt. Usually, programmes are held according to the religious practices of the majority of the residents in the locality. The Quran is recited when their population is more in a locality, and bhoomi puja is performed in Hindu-dominated areas. But in the programme about which Mr. Bellad was making allegations, both shlokas and the Quran were recited,” he said.
Mr. Tamatgar termed the action of Mr. Bellad performing ‘homa’ to protest against the recitation of the Quran with the intention of creating a communal divide as highly condemnable.
He said that being in a secular nation, Mr. Bellad should learn to respect all the religions. On Mr. Bellad’s statement that there was no practice of reciting Quran in government programmes, Mr. Tamatgar said that Mr. Bellad should make efforts to bring out a common protocol for all functions instead of trying to create a divide. He also said that he would pray to the Almighty to grant him intellect for thinking for the people.
Mr. Tamatgar sought to know when an attempt was made to throw a sheaf of paper on the Chief Justice of India, Mr. Bellad did not get the idea of performing ‘homa’. “When rapes occurred repeatedly in the country, when youths became victims of drugs, Mr. Bellad did not perform ‘homa’. If reciting the Quran has caused damage to anyone, then let him perform ‘homa”, he said.
‘No development only politics’
Addressing a separate press conference in Hubballi on Saturday, Congress leader Nagaraj Gouri has alleged that instead of making efforts to address the problems of the residents of his constituency, Mr. Bellad had indulged in petty politics.
“Despite being a third-time MLA, Mr. Bellad failed to get a road work sanctioned for the Devragudihal stretch. After Congress came to power, a grant of ₹6 crore has been released for the road work. In fact, Mr. Bellad had tried to stop the grants. Now that the bhoomi puja for the work was done, Mr. Bellad was doing politics, alleging that only the Quran was recited, while in reality both shlokas in praise of Lord Ganesh and the Quran were recited,” he said.
Mr. Gouri alleged that to cover up his failure to get grants for the road work, Mr. Bellad had stooped to the level of creating a divide between communities, he alleged. He said that they would be lodging a complaint against Mr. Bellad for his alleged condemnable act.
Published – October 11, 2025 07:16 pm IST
