Bengaluru: Citizens’ forum calls for bandh on July 12 over Idgah ground ownership row

According to a BJP source, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders held a closed-door meeting with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai last week and came up with a strategy to handle the Eidgah row. It is learnt that the Sangh and the BJP are on the same page as they want the issue to be resolved through public discourse without allowing communal disturbance and violence in the city. Meanwhile, Some Hindu outfits plan to celebrate Independence day on this ground, according to sources.

The ground found itself in the middle of a controversy after right-wing activists claimed that it is a public place and said permissions should be granted to hold Hindu festivals on it. However, the Wakf Board in Karnataka pointed out that the ground was under its control.

However, BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Girinath told the media last week: “The BBMP’s name was mentioned under the column ‘holders’ in the records in the city survey of 1974. Then the civic agency had taken possession of the land but the Khata shows that BBMP does not have ownership of the land and it is held by the Wakf Board which can apply for the Khatha along with its supporting records and steps will be taken.”

The BBMP chief commissioner’s statement did not go down well with the right-wing groups who now blame the civic agency for “not being informed” about the place.

The Eidgah Maidan has a history of communal tension as the row over its ownership triggered widespread violence in 1983. But Bengaluru has not seen major communal tension after this incident.