BJP slams Karnataka Government over viral video of Namaz at Bengaluru Airport

The BJP has slammed the Karnataka government over a viral video of namaz being offered outside Terminal 2 of Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. The BJP asked how such prayers were allowed in a high-security area and whether permission was granted for the gathering.

Bengaluru: The video, shot near Gate 3 of Terminal 2, shows a group of men offering namaz while Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel stand nearby. BJP spokesperson Vijay Prasad publicly tagged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and IT Minister Priyank Kharge on Twitter, asking if the state approved the prayers and if prior permission was obtained.

Double Standards Alleged Over Permission Rules

BJP alleges a double standard, citing how RSS events require official permission, whereas the prayer took place undisputed in a restricted public area, raising concerns over security in sensitive zones.

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Prayer Room Exists; Airport, Police Stay Silent

According to airport sources, a prayer room exists inside the terminal, but the group prayed outside, triggering further questions on enforcement and public policy. The airport authority has declined to comment, and local police stated that the airport is outside their jurisdiction and that no complaint has been properly filed.

BJP Demands Equal Permit Enforcement, Accountability

Leaders of the BJP charge that the Karnataka government has failed to follow constitutional and legal requirements regarding public gathering permits and called for accountability and transparency. Framing their concerns as a security issue, they stated that all groups should be held to the same permission policy rules.

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This incident highlights some of the tensions surrounding religious practices in public spaces and divergent standards for obtaining permission to use high-security public spaces. With political parties engaging their supporters on social media and insisting that public policy issues are a matter of communal harmony in Karnataka, the questions that have arisen speak to broader questions of religious practice and public policy.