Bengaluru, Sept. 15 -- The Karnataka High Court (HC) this morning dismissed petitions challenging the State Government's decision to select Kannada author and International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq as the chief guest to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara, scheduled to begin on Sept. 22.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi, after hearing the arguments, observed: "We are not persuaded to accept that permitting a person of a different faith to a function organised by the State violates any legal or constitutional right of the petitioners or is in any manner opposed to the values enshrined in the Constitution of India. Accordingly, the petitions are dismissed."

The petitions were filed by former M...