BJP slams Congress govt for stopping 800-year-old Kepu cockfight, calls it Tughlaq-style rule

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, December 22, 2025: Accusing the state Congress government of resorting to “Tughlaq-style governance” by attempting to stop the traditional Kepu Ullalti cockfight, which has been conducted for over 800 years, MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta said the move amounted to an attack on Hindu religious sentiments.

Addressing a joint press conference at the BJP district office in Dakshina Kannada in the presence of BJP MLAs, Chowta alleged that the government was trying to halt the event through the police on the pretext of gambling and illegal activities. He warned that any attempt to hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community would not be tolerated.

He alleged that since the Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah came to power, it has consistently adopted anti-Hindu policies. “Hindu beliefs are being targeted, Hindu activists are being curbed, and Hindu organisations are being suppressed. It is shameful that cases are now being registered even in connection with traditional practices such as cockfight, Yakshagana and Kambala,” he said.

Chowta pointed out that despite the district in-charge minister assuring in meetings that no actions would be taken that hurt religious beliefs, such incidents continue to occur. He urged the minister to take these “repressive actions” seriously. With several temple festivals, Kola and Nema rituals scheduled in the coming days, he warned that any further attempts to hurt Hindu beliefs under flimsy pretexts would be strongly opposed. He also said the Kepu Ullalti cockfight issue would be taken up through legal means.

MLA Dr. Bharath Shetty said there was no gambling system in the Kepu constituency and that the cockfight had been held there for years. He alleged that this year there was a sudden attempt to stop it and that an animal cruelty case had even been filed against the BJP district president. He questioned whether the government or police had the authority to stop long-standing traditions of animal sacrifice involving goats and chickens during festivals.

MLA Vedavyas Kamath said the BJP had been in power for three years earlier and not a single such incident had occurred during that period. “If the Congress government, along with its officers, cannot correct such mistakes, it clearly amounts to an attack on our religious sentiments,” he said. Noting that thousands of people attend cockfight events, he asked sarcastically whether the authorities had the manpower and paperwork to register cases against all of them.

He also pointed out that there are more than 50 slaughterhouses in Mangaluru and questioned why no FIRs are registered there.

MLC Kishore Kumar, former mayor Premananda Shetty, leaders Arun Shetty, Jagadish Alva and others were present at the press conference.