Karnataka: Ganesh Chaturthi at Hubballi’s Idgah ground over, Muslim body to file contempt plea

At the forefront of the procession were Mahamandali chief and Vishva Hindu Parishad leader Sanjay Bhadaskar, BJP leader Mahesh Tenginkai, and members of the VHP, Sri Rama Sene, RSS, Somavamsha Sahasrarjun Kshatriya Sama, Hindu Jagarana Vedike and the Hindustan Janata Party.

Ahead of the procession, the organisers conducted a mahamangalarthi (puja) and auctioned the jewellery and garments used to decorate the Ganesha idol. The idol immersion took place at an artificial pond at Sadashiv Nagar.

The organisers violated a the Hubballi-Dharwad municipal corporation’s ban on flex boards at the Idgah ground. However, a Savarkar portrait installed right near the Ganesha idol in the pandal was removed after corporation officials intervened. But a hoarding featuring the Hindutva icon was put up at the Idgah ground’s entry.

The organisers sought to justify the portraits saying Savarkar, along with freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, was instrumental in introducing Ganesha celebrations in Maharashtra. A hoarding featured Tilak.

Gopalkrishna B, commissioner of the municipal corporation, told indianexpress.com that the corporation would consider allowing sellers of pottery, vegetables and fruits at the Idgah ground. “The decision to allow the utsav was taken after consulting the stakeholders of the corporation and law and order authorities. The three-day event went smoothly, except for the violation on day one. Decisions on allowing any religious events will be taken after consulting the corporation members and considering the law and order situation,” he said.

Along the procession route, songs praising Hindutva and Savarkar as well as some film numbers about Karnataka were played. The procession also featured a traditional dance performance with manjira, or cymbals. The organisers overshot the allotted time by an hour.

Sri Rama Sena chief Pramod Muthalik, who was present on the last day of the celebration, said, “This time we celebrated only for three days. From next year, the celebrations will last more days and be grander. There were attempts by a certain group of people to stop our celebration, but the Hindus emerged victorious at the end. This is an example of how no force can stop Hindus from celebrating their culture and traditions.”

Altaf Nawaz, vice-president of Anjuman-e-Islam, said the Muslim organisation would file a contempt case in the Karnataka High Court against the Hubballi-Dharwad municipal corporation commissioner. “We will be moving the high court seeking directions to disallow religious activities of other communities at the Idgah ground. Our organisation has been given the Idgah ground for a lease period of 999 years by the Supreme Court. Any other community using the ground for religious purposes will be in contempt of the court. Although we are not against the celebrations of other religious communities, this three-day Ganesha utsav at the Idgah ground has really disturbed us,” said Nawaz.

Meanwhile, members of Hindu organisations said they would ask to celebrate other Hindu festivals such as Shivaratri, Deepavali and Dasara at the Idgah ground. A senior police officer told indianexpress.com, “Hubballi has always been at the moderate level when it comes to communal tension, unlike Mangalore and parts of Dakshina Kannada. Provocations on both sides will continue, but it will be largely peaceful.”