Bengaluru: 1,500 police personnel deployed at Idgah over SC's Ganeshotsav status quo order

The Karnataka Police have deployed about 1,500 police personnel at Bengaluru's Idgah Maidan after the Supreme Court ordered the authorities not to allow Ganeshotsav celebrations there. 47 inspectors, 130-sub inspectors and 126 assistant inspectors along with 900 constables have been stationed at the premises to ward off any untoward incident.

A total of Rapid Action Force (RAF) 120 personnel, a team of 100 special ammunition experts, and 10 platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) were also deployed.

The Chamarajanagar Citizens' Forum, which was fighting a legal battle urging the authorities to allow them to celebrate Ganeshotsav at Idgah, has stated that it will abide by the Supreme Court order.

Rame Gowda, the Forum's President, stated that the organization will continue to wage its legal battle and he is confident of emerging victorious in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court upheld the order of the Dharwad municipal commissioner that allowed the Ganesh Chaturthi festival at the Hubballi Idgah maidan. In a late-night order, Justice Ashok S Kinagi observed that the property belonged to the Dharwad municipality and the petitioner Anjuman-e-Islam was only a leaseholder.

The municipal commissioner had ordered the conduct of the festival inside the premises. The Islamic body challenged the order. Anjuman-e-Islam claimed that the property in question was protected under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which says no religious place of worship can be converted.

In its order, the court conducted that the property wasn't a place of worship and prayers here were allowed only during festivals like Bakrid and Ramzan. The rest of the time, the premises are used as a marketplace and a parking lot.

Anjuman-e-Islam had filed the petition after the Supreme Court ordered a status quo in the case of Bengaluru's Eidgah land.

The Supreme Court order of status quo in the Bengaluru Chamrajpet ground was also not applicable to this case, the high court said.

The Chamrajpet issue involves a dispute about the ownership of the property, whereas the Hubballi ground belongs to the municipality, which Anjuman-e-Islam has also acknowledged, the court pointed out.

It had said if there was a Supreme Court order on the Bengaluru Idgah issue, the same could be mentioned before it.

The apex court ordered for status quo in the Bengaluru issue and the Ganesh Chaturthi festival set to be celebrated by the state government had to be withheld.

The matter was mentioned in the Hubballi case. Justice Kinagi heard the matter at his official chamber at 10 pm. After hearing the parties, including the state government advocate, he dictated the orders at 11.15 pm.

With inputs from IANS, PTI