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Contrasting scenes at two Idgah grounds in Karnataka on Ganesh Chaturthi
A day after two dramatic court hearings in the Supreme Court and the Karnataka high court, there were starkly different scenes at the Idgah maidans of Hubballi and Bengaluru, with Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations held amid tight security in the former, and heavy police presence but no event in the latter.
A day after two dramatic court hearings in the Supreme Court and the Karnataka high court, there were starkly different scenes at the Idgah maidans of Hubballi and Bengaluru, with Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations held amid tight security in the former, and heavy police presence but no event in the latter.
At Hubballi, there was also controversy after the Pramod Muthalik led Sri Ram Sene arrived at the venue with Veer Savarkar photographs in tow.
On Tuesday, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, ordered a status quo on the Idgah Maidan in Bengaluru’s Chamarajpet, essentially ruling out the holding of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at the site. The bench led by justice Indira Banerjee was hearing an appeal by the Karnataka Waqf board challenging an order of the Karnataka high court which permitted the state government to consider and pass appropriate orders on applications received by the deputy commissioner of Bengaluru (Urban) seeking the use of Idgah Maidan for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
Armed with this order, the Anjumaan-e-Islam had approached the Karnataka High Court, asking for similar orders preventing Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations to be passed for the Idgah Maidan in Hubballi. In a late-night hearing which began at 10pm, and in orders that were passed around midnight, the Karnataka high court however said that the Bengaluru case involved a dispute about ownership of property, but the Hubballi ground belonged to the municipality. “In view of the above discretion, I do not find any grounds to grant an interim prayer as sought by the petitioner, accordingly interim prayer as sought by the petitioner is rejected,” the court said.
So, on Wednesday morning, the Rani Chennamma MaidanGajanan Utsav Mahamandal began preparations for the three-day celebrations, erecting a pandal and the idol of Lord Ganesha.
“Rani Chennamma Maidan belongs to the municipal corporation, so we had requested on behalf of Samiti Mahamandal that this Ganpati Utsav should be allowed here,” Govardhan Rao, convener of the organisation said. “Puja will be conducted in the traditional way and we are going to celebrate this festival for three days as per the direction of the municipal corporation. We are going to follow all instructions that have been given.”
The celebrations happened in a tight shield of security cover. Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner Labhu Ram said that the law-and-order situation in the district is under control. “Situation in Dharwad is peaceful, with elaborate arrangements made regarding the Ganesh festival. We have already deployed 1 RAF (Rapid Action Force), 10 KSRP (Karnataka State Reserve Police) platoons, 10 CAR (City Armed Reserve) platoons, and 300 police officers from other districts and local police have deployed in the city for the duration of the Ganesha festival,” he said.
There was controversy, however, during the day when Shri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik, along with his supporters, arrived with posters of VD Savarkar and Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Savarkar’s photograph was also placed next to the idol, and a picture of Savarkar was also present on a banner placed on the dais.
“We performed the prayers within the legal framework. Some miscreants had attempted to stop us but we performed our puja, which is not only a matter of joy for the people of Hubballi but also across north Karnataka,” Muthalik told reporters at the pandal.
Reacting to the appearance of the Savarkar photographs, Union minister Prahlad Joshi however said that it was “normal.”
“It is put as a backdrop. That is a normal thing in India. The organisers believe that Savarkar is a great patriot so they have put it. What’s wrong with that,” Joshi said.
Meanwhile, after the Supreme Court order, there were no similar celebrations at the Chamarajpet Idgah Maidan in Bengaluru. There was police deployment headed by senior DCP and Additional DCP level officers, including personnel of the RAF and the Karnataka State Reserve Police.
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Karnataka revenue minister JR Ashoka said that the state government would abide by the apex court’s order, but insisted that the people of Bengaluru were disappointed. “Since the Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations won’t be held at the Idgah Maidan, people of Bengaluru are disappointed. Our argument is that the Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations should be hosted by the government. The Idgah Maidan belongs to the public,” Ashoka said.
The minister said that the government was likely to look for avenues for judicial review, and that there had been discussions on this subject at the highest level. “We have discussed this with the Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and the advocate general. Since the status quo was ordered for both parties, it needs to be deliberated with legal experts. It is up to the civic committees to decide on alternative Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations. As we are the government, we have to follow the court order,” Ashoka said.
