India's International Booker winner at the centre of a political row

The decision to invite Mushtaq sparked criticism from some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders - which is in the opposition in the state - who said that Mushtaq, a Karnataka-born Muslim, should not be inaugurating a Hindu festival.

All around the world the bigots seem to be proudly espousing their ignorant bullshit

This is in my home state. The festival in question is Dasara and the inauguration is to offer first prayers to the deity and the procession of the idol on an elephant. This is a proper Hindu festival and procession. The issue here is not only that she is a Muslim, but she is staunchly against idol worship and has given many statements regarding the same. How can she inaugurate the procession and offer first prayers when she is opposed to it?

The political issue is that the openly Hindu hating party that is in power in the state (Indian National Congress) wants to do many such controversial things to degrade Hindus while chanting "secularism" and appeasing Muslims.