The temple in question is located in Puttur, about 50 km from Mangaluru.
Can the name of a Muslim bureaucrat be put on the invitation to a temple event? Some right wing groups in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district say no.
The temple in question is located in Puttur, about 50 km from Mangaluru.
The invitation to a festival, to be held there in April, includes the name of the district magistrate AB Ibrahim.
As the district protocol officer, Mr Ibrahim has been part of at least 25 meetings of various temple committees across the district. His name is printed as part of a routine procedure.
But the local wings of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal have raised objections.
Admitting that the two groups indeed have a "grouse", BJP spokesperson S Prakash said, "A non-believer, or a person who is not working for the Hindu custom, cannot invite Hindus for a Hindu programme."
In the past, whenever such a situation rose, a suitable replacement for the person concerned was found, he said.
Though Mr Prakash termed it a "frivolous issue" he also said it was the "duty" of the state government to address it. "I feel that talking to the organisations and the DM will solve (the matter) amicably," he further added.
But the state government doesn't agree.
"Why all this fuss about a deputy commissioner who is a responsible officer, a district magistrate?" asked Karnataka home minister, G Parameshwara. "He (the magistrate) is not conducting any anti-Hindu activity which is not allowed. Why create all this confusion and disturb the harmony?"
Mr Ibrahim told NDTV that there has been no written complaint, that there was no tension in the area and that he has referred the matter to the home department.
The Dakshina Kannada district has been associated with religious intolerance, including communal riots, in the past.