Namaz at Bengaluru Airport: BJP Accuses Siddaramaiah Govt of Double Standards

A fresh controversy has broken out in Karnataka after a video showing a group of people offering namaz inside Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) went viral on social media. The incident, said to have taken place at Terminal 2, has quickly turned into a political flashpoint between the Congress government and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

According to reports, those seen in the video were relatives of passengers departing for Mecca. However, the act of performing prayers inside a high-security zone has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who accused the Congress government of selective enforcement and appeasement politics.

BJP spokesperson Vijay Prasad, sharing the clip on X, questioned how such an activity was permitted within the terminal. "How is this even allowed inside the T2 Terminal of Bengaluru International Airport? Did they obtain prior permission?" he asked, demanding accountability from airport authorities and the state government.

Prasad further accused the ruling party of adopting double standards, referring to the objections raised by Congress leaders against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) Path Sanchalan events. "When the RSS conducts Patha Sanchalana with proper permission, the government raises objections. But when namaz is offered in a restricted public area, no one speaks up. Does this not pose a serious security concern?" he said.

The controversy also revived the row surrounding IT and RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge, who had earlier urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to impose a state-wide ban on RSS activities in government institutions and public spaces. In an October letter, Kharge alleged that the RSS was conducting its shakhas in government and government-aided schools as well as on public grounds.

Acting on his request, the government issued an order mandating prior permission for private organisations to use government-owned premises for any activities. However, the Karnataka High Court later put an interim stay on the order after a public interest litigation challenged its legality.