Bengaluru: Several civil society activists came out urging Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to turn down his decision to attend a book launch function of controversial Kannada editor Vishweshwar Bhat's three volumes titled "Sampadakara Sadhyasamshodhane" on July 22.
Various groups and activists have raised concerns over Bhat's alleged far-right-wing ideology, accusing him of promoting Islamophobia, casteism, and misogyny through his earlier statements and writings.
The invitation to the book launch event went viral on social media, prompting filmmaker and activist Kavita Lankesh, sister of the late journalist Gauri Lankesh, to express her disappointment in the Chief Minister's decision. She highlighted a misogynistic tweet by Bhat targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, emphasizing the implications of Siddaramaiah's participation.
Citizen activist Vinay Sreenivasa also urged the Chief Minister to reconsider attending the event and shared screenshots of Bhat's objectionable past posts.
Actor-turned-activist Prakash Raj joined the chorus, requesting the Chief Minister to rethink his decision, stating, "Please think once, this doesn’t augur well for you."
The controversy is not new for Bhat, as he faced criticism last year for ridiculing the complexion of President Droupadi Murmu in a travelogue piece, further fueling objections to his upcoming book release.
Twitter users shared a column written by Bhat on journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was assassinated by right-wing groups in 2017, with a headline that sparked outrage, insinuating that her death would have received less media coverage if it were due to alcohol rather than a bullet.
Adding to the controversy, Bhat responded inappropriately to a reader's query about measuring the development of a village, making a crude comment about women wearing bras.