Mangaluru : Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim said the invitation was brought out in his capacity as the administrative head of Muzrai temples in the district.

“There is no procedural irregularity in bringing out the invitation in my name,” he said, adding that in a similar way, invitations were brought out recently for a religious event at Kukke Subrahmanya Temple, which is also under the department.

Expressing his displeasure over the controversy, Mr. Ibrahim said: “A non-issue is being made an issue. It has really saddened me. Moreover, it has also cast a slur on the image of the region which is known for communal amity in celebrating festivals of different religions.”

Till last year it did not become an issue as the temple had a managing committee. Owing to quashing of amendments to the Act, the Deputy Commissioner became the administrator of the temple

While even Puttur MLA Shakuntala Shetty and several other politicians have lauded Mr. Ibrahim as a “tough and honest administrator”, they seem reluctant to take on right-wing groups in the region to support him, according to observers.

Ms. Shetty on Tuesday declared that she would “consider removing his name and go only with the designation on the invitation card to skirt any controversy.”

Right-wing groups are known to have a powerful presence in the Dakshina Kannada district, where several cases of “vigilante attacks” on couples and minorities have been reported over the last two decades.

In this case, the VHP claimed that Section 7 of the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997, allows only Hindu officers to carry out duties prescribed under the Act.

However, Endowment Commissioner R.R. Jannu said Section 7 of the Act applies only to duties that are to be performed in temples. “In this case, the invitation was issued as per the protocol.”

It is not clear if the Congress State leadership will intervene in the matter.

Some political observers point out that despite making statements against right-wing groups, “when it comes to local politics, the Congress often goes soft on such issues.”