Civic body permits installation of Ganesh idol at Idgah Maidan in Hubballi

Mangalore Today News Network

Hubballi, Sep 16, 2023: After the Dharwad bench of the Karnataka High Court dismissed a plea seeking to halt the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at Idgah Maidan in Hubballi, the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, on Friday, granted permission for the installation of a Ganesha idol at the controversial venue.

 

The Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Ishwar Ullagaddi, stated that the permission for the installation of the Ganesh idol was granted in accordance with the High Court’s directive, as reported by the news agency ANI.

"As per the directions of the High Court, we have granted permission to celebrate the Ganesha festival in Idgah Maidan for three days, as per our resolution," said the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation Commissioner, as quoted by the news agency ANI.

The Dharwad bench of the Karnataka High Court dismissed a petition filed by Anjuman-e-Islam, which had sought to halt the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at the Idgah Maidan in Karnataka’s Hubballi.

Last year, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at the Idgah ground began only after the Karnataka High Court declined to revise its previous order, which allowed the installation of Ganesha idols at the ground. In a late-night hearing, the High Court declared that the land in Hubballi was not in dispute and rejected pleas challenging permission for the rituals.

CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING IDGAH MAIDAN

In 1992, on Republic Day, a group of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders attempted to hoist the flag at the Idgah Maidan. However, Anjuman-e-Islam refused to hoist the tricolour, citing an agreement dating back to 1921.

In this agreement, the municipality had granted permission to lease out the land to the Muslim body Anjuman-e-Islam, which had requested in 1921 to use the land for prayers, for a period of 999 years. This led to protests in Hubballi. The ruling Congress in 1992 denied permission to hoist the tricolour on the disputed land.

In yet another attempt, in 1994, BJP leader Uma Bharti announced her intention to hoist the national flag on the Idgah Maidan in Hubballi. Fearing communal riots, the ruling Congress in Karnataka imposed a curfew, and tension gripped Hubballi. Uma Bharti was prevented from hoisting the flag, and clashes resulted in the deaths of six people.

However, in 2010, both the Supreme Court and the Karnataka High Court determined that the Idgah Maidan belonged to the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation after years of legal arguments. The courts ruled that Anjuman-e-Islam was not allowed to construct on the land, and the Muslim body was permitted to hold prayers on the land only twice a year.

On August 30, 2020, the Karnataka High Court upheld an order from the Dharwad municipal commissioner allowing the Ganesh Chaturthi festival to be held at the Hubballi Idgah Maidan.

The municipal commissioner’s order was contested in court by Anjuman-e-Islam, which claimed that the property in question was protected under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which stipulates that no religious place of worship can be converted.

The Karnataka High Court ruled that the property in question was not considered a religious place of worship and was only permitted for prayers during Bakrid and Ramzan. At other times, it was used for purposes such as a marketplace and a parking lot.

Courtesy: India Today