Karnataka High Court dismisses pleas against Banu Mushtaq inaugurating Mysuru Dasara

The Karnataka High Court on Monday dismissed petitions against the state government’s decision to invite writer and activist Banu Mushtaq, winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize, to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara celebrations, Live Law reported.

A bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi said that it was “not persuaded to accept that a person from a different faith inaugurating a function organised by the state would violate a legal or constitutional right of the petitioners” or constitutional values.

Mysuru Dasara is a 10-day state festival that begins with the Hindu festival of Navratri and ends on Vijayadashami, or Dussehra. This year, the festivities start on September 22 and conclude on October 2.