Soft-Hindutva a trademark of Congress in Dakshina Kannada

MANGALURU: Bhoota Kola is a traditional ritual, which brings together hundreds of people from the Hindu community in Karnataka’s coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. During a Kola at Kutthar Village last year, the local MLA UT Khader – who is also minister in the Congress government – made a quiet entry and sat through the proceedings. He even offered prayers before leaving.

In Mangaluru, a communal hot spot, politicians from parties other than the BJP, walk that extra mile to convince people of their secular credentials. This approach, termed soft-Hindutva by observers, is to counter BJP’s ‘Hindutva’ politics which involves terming non-BJP parties as anti-Hindu.

For instance, JR Lobo, Mangaluru South MLA, has visited almost every temple in his constituency during his stint as a legislator. He played an active role in the renovation of the Sri Surya Narayana Temple in Maroli.

Even when the Christian community was unhappy over the State government’s decision to celebrate the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan, the former bureaucrat-turned politician said nothing that would upset his party’s supporters.

With two politically-motivated murders and a communal riot in his constituency, Mangaluru North MLA BA Mohiuddin Bawa’s five-year-term had its share of controversy. But Bawa plays it down. “The fight between the Hindu and Muslim used to happen daily. After I became MLA, I brought an end to it. Only last year, one innocent person was killed for political gain but I made sure it did not lead to a riot,” he said.

Meanwhile, BJP’s Dakshina Kannada’s district president Sanjiv Matandur said that the alleged murders of BJP workers and the Congress’ “anti-Hindu policies” would be election issues in the district.