Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said Chief Minister D K Shivakumar should remove Rayareddy if the minister refused to withdraw his remarks and apologise. The demand added to pressure on the Congress government two days after Planning and Statistics Minister B Nagendra resigned amid allegations linked to the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation case.
Rayareddy made the comments while addressing a Muslim community mass marriage programme at Kuknoor in Koppal district. He described Islam as a great, disciplined, scientific and deeply humanitarian religion and said people who did not understand it often formed incorrect opinions.
“I would like to say that Islam is shreshta dharam, or a great religion, than other dharmas,” Rayareddy said. He also urged people to study religions and their histories rather than become religious fanatics or casteists.
The minister said the Quran was not confined to Muslims and could be read by anyone. He said Islam taught people how to live with humanity and maintained that good principles from every religion should be understood and adopted in daily life.
Rayareddy also said he did not frequently visit temples or maths and spoke of his wish to travel to Mecca. He said he had not undertaken an extensive study of Abrahamic religions but had attempted to understand the Quran, different faiths and their histories.
Ashoka accused the minister of belittling Hindu places of worship and portraying Sanatana Dharma as inferior. He questioned Shivakumar’s silence and said the Chief Minister’s temple visits would appear hollow if he failed to act against a member of his Cabinet.
“Our demand is clear,” Ashoka said. He called on Rayareddy to withdraw his remarks and seek forgiveness from Hindus across Karnataka, adding that Shivakumar should dismiss him if he declined to do so.
The BJP leader also accused the Congress government of adopting an “anti-Hindu” position. The allegation was political and was rejected implicitly by Rayareddy’s broader appeal at the event for respect towards all religions and for people to learn from what he described as the good values present in each faith.
Rayareddy said merely visiting a mosque or a temple did not by itself make a person virtuous. He urged people to avoid bigotry and casteism, saying religions existed for the welfare of humanity and that individuals should try to follow their ethical teachings.
His reference to Mecca also drew attention. Rayareddy said he wanted to undertake a pilgrimage there but believed he could not do so as a non-Muslim. Access to Mecca is restricted by Saudi Arabia to Muslims.
BJP spokesperson Ashok Gowda separately criticised Rayareddy, saying a minister should not rank religions and urging people to read religious texts before drawing conclusions. He accused the Congress leadership of using such remarks for political appeasement.
The controversy comes shortly after Nagendra’s resignation from Shivakumar’s ministry. Nagendra stepped down on Friday amid renewed opposition pressure over alleged financial irregularities involving the Valmiki corporation. The allegations concern the diversion of funds intended for Scheduled Tribe welfare, and the matter has been under investigation.
Nagendra had returned to the Cabinet earlier this month before resigning again. His departure gave the BJP fresh momentum in its campaign against the government, although the Rayareddy dispute concerns statements on religion rather than allegations of wrongdoing.
Rayareddy, a veteran Congress legislator, joined Shivakumar’s Cabinet during an expansion this month and took charge of higher education. He had earlier served as financial adviser to former chief minister Siddaramaiah.
