Row Over Ganesh Chaturthi Festivities In K’Taka On Two Fronts: Top Developments

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Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations have become a hot-button issue in Karnataka ahead of next year’s assembly election after Hindu outfits were allowed to install Ganesh idols in Hubballi Eidgah grounds while being denied permission in Bengaluru.

Here are the Top 10 Developments in the Ganesh Chaturthi story

1. The Karnataka High Court granted permission for the installation of a Ganesh pandal at Hubballi’s Eidgah Maidan in an unusual midnight hearing. A local Muslim organization had objected to the civic body’s decision to permit celebrations there, claiming that the Municipal Commissioner was “attempting to convert the place of worship.”
2. Soon after the court order, an idol of Lord Ganesh was placed on the ground, and celebrations were held peacefully amid tight security.
3. The High Court stated that the “serious dispute” over ownership in the case of the Bengaluru Eidgah land, on which the Supreme Court had previously ordered “status quo” on a petition by the Karnataka Waqf Board, did not arise here because the ground is used for regular activities such as parking vehicles and is not a place of worship. “Facts differ,” the court stated.
4. The Hubballi Eidgah ground is under the jurisdiction of the Hubballi-Dharwad City Corporation, and the petitioner, Anjuman-e-Islam, is a licensee who is permitted to use the ground on two occasions: Ramzan and Eid.
5. “This (the Hubballi grounds) is corporate property, and the corporation may do whatever it sees fit… They have two days to pray, Ramzan and Bakri Id, which cannot be disrupted “said the judge.
6. Following the state government’s approval of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations on the Bengaluru ground, the Waqf Board petitioned the courts, claiming, “This property has never hosted a religious event from another community… According to the law, it has been designated as Waqf Property. In 2022, they declare that it is disputed land and that they intend to hold the Ganesh Chaturthi festival there “.
7. “Don’t give religious minorities the impression that their rights can be trampled on,” the lawyer, Dushyant Dave, had told the Supreme Court.
8. According to the Supreme Court, the 2.5-acre Bengaluru Edigah ground will be adjudicated by the High Court, as heavy deployment of police and rapid response forces continues there.
9. Soon after the Supreme Court’s decision on the Eidgah Maidan in Bengaluru, Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka stated that it is a “public property” and that the legal battle over its ownership will continue in court.
10. According to Ashoka, the government will follow the Supreme Court’s orders but will continue to challenge them legally.

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