BENGALURU: Leader of Opposition R Ashoka has demanded that Chief Minister D K Shivakumar take action against minister Basavaraj Rayareddy over his reported remarks on religion, asking him to either issue a public apology or step down from the state cabinet.
In a post on social media X, Ashoka took a sharp dig at Shivakumar, referring to what he described as the chief minister’s “sixth guarantee — ‘Sunna (circumcision) guarantee’ for Hindus.”
Ashoka alleged that Rayareddy’s reported statement that “Islam is the greatest religion” and that he would not visit mutts had hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus across Karnataka.
While acknowledging that individuals are entitled to their personal religious beliefs, Ashoka said a minister holding constitutional responsibility should exercise restraint while speaking about other faiths and religious institutions.
He also criticised Shivakumar for allegedly remaining silent over the remarks.
“Is the government more concerned about protecting a minister than addressing the sentiments of people?” Ashoka asked, alleging that the Congress government was engaging in vote-bank politics.
Ashoka demanded that Shivakumar publicly condemn Rayareddy’s remarks and ensure that the minister apologises to the Hindu community. If Rayareddy refuses, the chief minister should remove him from the cabinet, he said.
The BJP leader further asked whether Rayareddy’s comments represented his personal opinion or reflected the position of the Congress government.
ಸಿಎಂ ಡಿಕೆಶಿ ಅವರ 6ನೇ ಗ್ಯಾರಂಟಿ – ಹಿಂದೂಗಳಿಗೆ ‘ಸುನ್ನತ್ ಗ್ಯಾರಂಟಿ’!
ಸಿಎಂ @DKShivakumar ಅವರೇ, ಹಿಂದೂಗಳ ಮತ ಬೇಕಾದಾಗ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ ಸುತ್ತುವ ನಾಟಕ ಆಡುವ ನಿಮಗೆ, ಅಧಿಕಾರ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಮೇಲೆ ನಿಮ್ಮದೇ ಸಂಪುಟದ ಸಚಿವರು ಅದೇ ಹಿಂದೂ ಧರ್ಮವನ್ನು ಅವರಹೇಳನ ಮಾಡಿದಾಗ ಮೌನ ವಹಿಸುವುದೇಕೆ?
ನಿಮ್ಮ ಸಂಪುಟದ ಸಚಿವ ಬಸವರಾಜ ರಾಯರೆಡ್ಡಿ ಅವರು… pic.twitter.com/lwWNZEt83p
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) August 31, 2026
“Is the religious sentiment of crores of Hindus more important, or are the minister’s position and vote-bank considerations more important?” Ashoka asked.
The remarks have added another political flashpoint between the BJP and the ruling Congress in Karnataka.
