A seemingly routine act of religious observance at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, Karnataka, has ignited a fresh political controversy across India. A video showing a group of Muslims offering prayers in congregation at Terminal 2 of the airport went viral on social media, prompting immediate and fiery condemnation from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the state government.
The BJP unit in Karnataka was visibly outraged by the act, classifying it as an unacceptable public religious activity. The video footage also showed that security personnel were present at the scene during the prayer, seemingly unconcerned, which further fuelled the political backlash.
Vijay Prasad, the BJP Karnataka spokesperson, spearheaded the protest, directly questioning Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister Priyank Kharge: “Did the worshippers obtain prior permission from the government to perform prayer in a public place?”
The BJP leader expressed strong frustration over how such an activity was permitted at a sensitive public location like Terminal 2 of the Bengaluru International Airport, demanding an explanation for why prayer in a public area was allowed at all.
This incident is part of a larger ongoing national debate regarding religious freedom and the appropriateness of performing religious rituals in public spaces, particularly in a country where the ruling party often adopts a hardline stance on such matters within a nationalistic framework. The political fallout has drawn attention to the rights of minority communities versus the protocols enforced by airport management.
