{"id":13847,"date":"2026-09-13T03:08:48","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T21:38:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/?p=13847"},"modified":"2026-09-13T03:09:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T21:39:00","slug":"1-debate-development-dont-ridicule-devotion-manjunath-gowda-challenges-r-ashoka-over-d-k-shivakumar-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/?p=13847","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Debate Development, Don\u2019t Ridicule Devotion\u2019: Manjunath Gowda Challenges R. Ashoka Over D.K. Shivakumar Attack"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

R. Ashoka Targets D.K. Shivakumar\u2019s 100 Days; Youth Congress Hits Back Over \u2018Temple, Vibhuti\u2019 Remark<\/h1>\n

Manjunath Gowda accuses Opposition Leader of dragging personal religious practices into political criticism, challenges BJP to debate governance and development instead<\/h3>\n

\u2018\u0c86\u0ca1\u0cb3\u0cbf\u0ca4\u0cb5\u0ca8\u0ccd\u0ca8\u0cc1 \u0c9f\u0cc0\u0c95\u0cbf\u0cb8\u0cbf, \u0ca7\u0cbe\u0cb0\u0ccd\u0cae\u0cbf\u0c95 \u0ca8\u0c82\u0cac\u0cbf\u0c95\u0cc6\u0caf\u0ca8\u0ccd\u0ca8\u0cb2\u0ccd\u0cb2\u2019: \u0ca1\u0cbf.\u0c95\u0cc6. \u0cb6\u0cbf\u0cb5\u0c95\u0cc1\u0cae\u0cbe\u0cb0\u0ccd\u200c\u0cb0 \u0ca6\u0cc7\u0cb5\u0cb8\u0ccd\u0ca5\u0cbe\u0ca8, \u0cb5\u0cbf\u0cad\u0cc2\u0ca4\u0cbf \u0c95\u0cc1\u0cb0\u0cbf\u0ca4\u0cc1 \u0c86\u0cb0\u0ccd. \u0c85\u0cb6\u0ccb\u0c95\u0ccd \u0c9f\u0cc0\u0c95\u0cc6\u0c97\u0cc6 \u0caf\u0cc1\u0cb5 \u0c95\u0cbe\u0c82\u0c97\u0ccd\u0cb0\u0cc6\u0cb8\u0ccd \u0ca4\u0cbf\u0cb0\u0cc1\u0c97\u0cc7\u0c9f\u0cc1<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Bengaluru:<\/strong> A political war of words has erupted over Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar\u2019s completion of 100 days in office<\/strong>, after Karnataka Assembly Opposition Leader R. Ashoka<\/strong> targeted the Chief Minister by referring to his visits to temples and display of religious symbols.<\/p>\n

\u201cChief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has spent his hundred days around temples, vibhuti and religious marks,<\/strong>\u201d Ashoka said in a social media post, attacking the Chief Minister\u2019s record during his first 100 days.<\/p>\n

The remark drew a sharp response from Manjunath Gowda, President of the Indian Youth Congress in Karnataka<\/strong>, who accused Ashoka of allowing political criticism to descend into ridicule of an individual\u2019s religious practices.<\/p>\n

\u2018Criticise Governance, Not Personal Faith\u2019<\/h3>\n

Gowda questioned why visiting temples or wearing vibhuti should become grounds for attacking a political opponent.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there are shortcomings in the government\u2019s administration, speak about them. But why mock temple visits, vibhuti and the devotional practices of Hindus? Who are you trying to impress by doing this?<\/strong>\u201d Gowda asked.<\/p>\n

He described Ashoka\u2019s remarks as an expression of \u201cextreme frustration\u201d and alleged that the BJP was attempting to turn an individual\u2019s personal faith into an object of political derision.<\/p>\n

\u201cR. Ashoka himself must explain whether this is the respect he has for the religious beliefs of Hindus. Does such a statement not expose an anti-Hindu mindset?<\/strong>\u201d Gowda said.<\/p>\n

Youth Congress Turns BJP\u2019s Religious Politics Against It<\/h3>\n

Escalating the counterattack, Gowda accused the BJP of repeatedly using temples and religious symbols for electoral politics. He also invoked allegations surrounding donations collected in the name of the Ayodhya Ram temple, using them to question the BJP\u2019s claim to religious commitment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is unfortunate that temples, holy ash and vibhuti have repeatedly become electoral issues for the BJP<\/strong>,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Youth Congress leader challenged the Opposition to subject the government\u2019s performance to scrutiny instead of focusing on Shivakumar\u2019s devotional practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemove the jaundice-tinted glasses and assess the development programmes undertaken by D.K. Shivakumar during these 100 days. If there are failures, question them. But repeatedly trampling upon the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees will not go unanswered,<\/strong>\u201d Gowda said.<\/p>\n

The exchange has shifted what began as a debate over the Chief Minister\u2019s 100-day governance record<\/strong> into a larger political confrontation over the boundary between legitimate scrutiny of an administration and criticism of a politician\u2019s personal expressions of faith.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

R. Ashoka Targets D.K. Shivakumar\u2019s 100 Days; Youth Congress Hits Back Over \u2018Temple, Vibhuti\u2019 Remark Manjunath Gowda accuses Opposition Leader of dragging personal religious practices into political criticism, challenges BJP to debate governance and development instead \u2018\u0c86\u0ca1\u0cb3\u0cbf\u0ca4\u0cb5\u0ca8\u0ccd\u0ca8\u0cc1 \u0c9f\u0cc0\u0c95\u0cbf\u0cb8\u0cbf, \u0ca7\u0cbe\u0cb0\u0ccd\u0cae\u0cbf\u0c95 \u0ca8\u0c82\u0cac\u0cbf\u0c95\u0cc6\u0caf\u0ca8\u0ccd\u0ca8\u0cb2\u0ccd\u0cb2\u2019: \u0ca1\u0cbf.\u0c95\u0cc6. \u0cb6\u0cbf\u0cb5\u0c95\u0cc1\u0cae\u0cbe\u0cb0\u0ccd\u200c\u0cb0 \u0ca6\u0cc7\u0cb5\u0cb8\u0ccd\u0ca5\u0cbe\u0ca8, \u0cb5\u0cbf\u0cad\u0cc2\u0ca4\u0cbf \u0c95\u0cc1\u0cb0\u0cbf\u0ca4\u0cc1 \u0c86\u0cb0\u0ccd. \u0c85\u0cb6\u0ccb\u0c95\u0ccd \u0c9f\u0cc0\u0c95\u0cc6\u0c97\u0cc6 \u0caf\u0cc1\u0cb5 \u0c95\u0cbe\u0c82\u0c97\u0ccd\u0cb0\u0cc6\u0cb8\u0ccd \u0ca4\u0cbf\u0cb0\u0cc1\u0c97\u0cc7\u0c9f\u0cc1 Bengaluru: A political war […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13848,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66,96],"tags":[103,81,125,1680,102,1735,1658,1736],"class_list":["post-13847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-karnataka","category-politics","tag-bjp-karnataka","tag-chief-minister","tag-dk-shivakumar","tag-indian-youth-congress","tag-karnataka-congress","tag-karnataka-youth-congerss","tag-manjunath-gowda","tag-r-ashok"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":45,"today_views":5},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13847"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13850,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13847\/revisions\/13850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianow.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}