Congress minister in Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s cabinet has landed in controversy over his remarks on Islam. Karnataka minister Basavaraj Rayareddy, while speaking at a mass marriage programme organised by the Muslim community in Kuknoor on Saturday, 29th August, described Islam as a “better religion” than others and said he would like to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage.
Basavaraj Rayareddy praises Islam
Addressing the gathering, Rayareddy said, “I would like to say that Islam is shreshta dharam (great religion) than other dharmas….” He then said that several misconceptions about Islam were being spread in society and praised what he described as its teachings on humanity and social life.
"Islam is greater than all other religions, because it begins with humanity" : Karnataka Minister Basavaraj Raya Reddy. pic.twitter.com/4ioqQI42UB
— Deepak Bopanna (@dpkBopanna) August 30, 2026
“Islam is a great religion full of humanity. But wrong notions are being spread about Islam in society. This religion teaches how a human should live in society,” he said, according to PTI.
The minister said he had tried to study the Quran as well as other religions and their histories. He urged people to read religious texts and avoid becoming bigots or casteists. “Read it, understand, and don’t become bigots; don’t become casteists. There are God and bad people in all religions, but bad things are always highlighted,” he said.
Rayareddy also said that people should respect all religions and focus on their positive teachings. He expressed his desire to visit Mecca but said he could not do so without converting to Islam, as he understood it to be a requirement of the religion.
“Islam is a good religion; there are good teachings in it; you should follow it, instead of just going to Masjid…,” he added.
BJP demands Rayareddy’s resignation
His remarks triggered a sharp reaction from the BJP, with party leaders accusing the Congress government of following an “anti-Hindu” approach. Karnataka Assembly Leader of Opposition R Ashoka directly questioned Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over the statement.
“CM DK Shivakumar, is there no end to this anti-Hindu mindset of your Congress government?” Ashoka wrote on X. He also questioned why Shivakumar remained silent when a minister in his cabinet made remarks that demeaned Sanatan Dharma.
ಸಿಎಂ @DKShivakumar ಅವರೇ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಈ ಹಿಂದೂ ವಿರೋಧಿ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿಗೆ ಕೊನೆಯೇ ಇಲ್ಲವೇ?
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) August 30, 2026
ದಿನಬೆಳಗಾದರೆ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ ಸುತ್ತುವ ನಾಟಕ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾ, ಕ್ಯಾಮೆರಾ ಮುಂದೆ ಭಕ್ತಿಯ ಪ್ರದರ್ಶನ ನೀಡುವ ನೀವು, ನಿಮ್ಮದೇ ಸಂಪುಟದ ಸಚಿವರು ಸನಾತನ ಹಿಂದೂ ಧರ್ಮದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಅವಹೇಳನಕಾರಿ ಹೇಳಿಕೆ ನೀಡಿದಾಗ ಮಾತ್ರ… pic.twitter.com/5MitmcrwxE
Ashoka demanded that Rayareddy withdraw his statement and apologise to Hindus in Karnataka. “Our demand is clear: First, Basavaraj Rayareddy must withdraw his statements and seek forgiveness from all Hindus in the state. If he is not prepared to do so, CM DKShi must demonstrate his commitment to remove him from the cabinet,” he said.
The BJP leader also criticised Rayareddy’s remark, “I don’t go to mutts or temples,” saying it belittled the faith centres of millions of Hindus. He asked whether the Congress’s claim of “Sarva Dharma Sambhava” was being followed in practice.
Congress burns Manusmriti while minister praises Islam
Rayareddy’s remarks have come amid another Hinduphobic controversy involving the Congress workers and the Manusmriti. On Sunday, 30th August, Indian Youth Congress workers led by national president Uday Bhanu Chib protested outside the RSS headquarters in Delhi and burnt copies of the Manusmriti.
The protesters raised slogans including “Manusmriti Nahi Samvidhan Chahiye” and “Daliton ka ye Apmaan Nahi Sahega Hindustan”. The protest was linked to the controversy over the Havan conducted at the Haldwani venue where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had addressed a rally.
The Congress and its leaders have alleged that the ritual amounted to untouchability against Kharge, while people associated with the organisation that conducted the Havan have rejected that claim. Against this backdrop, Rayareddy’s praise of Islam has added another remark, proving the Congress’s adoption of different standards when discussing religions.
Amid the controversy, Rayareddy later clarified that he did not intend to suggest that other religions were inferior. He said that his remarks were about appreciating the teachings of Islam and stressed that he respected all religions.
The clarification came after the BJP stepped up its attack and demanded either an apology from the minister or his removal from the Karnataka Cabinet.
Rahul Gandhi’s Manusmriti attack and Congress’ double standards
Kanthapuram’s remarks also come at a politically significant moment for the Congress, with party leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi having recently launched a sharp attack on the Manusmriti over its treatment of women.
Speaking at the Congress’ ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ outreach programme in Pune on August 22, Gandhi said women belong to themselves and not to their fathers, husbands or sons. He described the idea of keeping women under the authority of male relatives as reflected in the Manusmriti as shameful and called on women to break free from what he described as the social “cage” imposed by patriarchy.
Gandhi’s remarks triggered a political row, with BJP leaders accusing him of selectively targeting Hindu traditions while Congress defended his position as a call for gender equality. The controversy has since expanded into a wider political battle over Manusmriti, patriarchy and the treatment of women across religious communities, especially with the regressive comments made by the Grand Mufti of India, AP Aboobacker Musliyar, who cited the Quran to assert women should remain confined to their homes.
