Sri Ram Sene chief joins Ganesh puja at Hubbali Idgah ground

Ganesh Chaturthi being celebrated at the Idgah ground in Hubbali amid tight security arrangements. (Express photo by Jithendra M)

Police had thrown a security blanket over Hubballi to ensure there was no untoward incident during the festivities.

At the Idgah ground in Chamarajpet in Bengaluru, where the Supreme Court had said no to plans for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, police personnel were deployed in large numbers to foil any attempt to violate the court order.

On Tuesday, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court had directed that status quo be maintained regarding the land at Chamarajpet and asked the parties to go back to the Karnataka High Court.

“The situation was a little tense in the morning due to apprehensions of miscreants entering the ground to install an idol in violation of court orders. It eased subsequently. The SC order has served to reduce tension in the area,” said a police officer on duty at the maidan Wednesday evening.

In Hubbali, where the Mayor had granted permission for the Ganesh pandal on the Idgah ground for only two days, officers said the next one week of Ganesh festivities will be a sensitive period.

Hubballi-Dharwad City Police Commissioner Labhu Ram said, “We have made elaborate security arrangements in the city and near the Idgah grounds. We have deployed one platoon of Rapid Action Force (RAF), 10 platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), 10 platoons of City Armed Reserve, 400 other police personnel. Besides, we also have Home Guards who have been deployed across the city.”

Union Minister and Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi said, “The Muslim community should not have objections over the usage of the land since the right of Muslims to hold prayers on the land twice a year is not affected in any manner.”

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) district president Sanjeev Badaskar, head of the Rani Chennamma Gajanan Utsav Mahamandal which was awarded the Ganesh Chaturthi event contract, said city authorities had directed that the celebrations at the maidan end by noon September 2.

“We have erected a pandal on 800 square feet of land and have obtained a licence to use loudspeakers. Police have directed us to maintain peace and have also set a deadline of 12 noon on September 2 to complete the Ganesha festival. We will take out a procession on September 2 around 11.30 am. We are yet to decide on the procession route,” he said.

According to Badaskar, the organisation had very little time to arrange the pandal given the late night order of the High Court clearing the hosting of the Ganesh celebrations on the ground. “We could not prepare well but have installed the Ganapati. We will be felicitating 11 persons who fought to celebrate Independence Day on this ground in 1994,” he said.

In 1994, BJP leaders including Uma Bharti, Ananth Kumar and many others made an attempt to hoist the Tricolour on the Idgah ground and the then state government had imposed curfew in the town. There was violence later and six persons were killed in police firing, leading to communal tension. In 1995, the Anjuman-i-Islam, which has a licence to hold prayers for Ramzan and Bakrid on the ground, acceded to the demand to hoist the national flag.

Among the plans drawn up by the Utsav Mandal for the celebration of the Ganesh festival at the maidan is a Mahamangalarathi (Aarti) of the Ganesh idol by two city sanitation workers (pourakarmikas).

On Tuesday, the Dharwad bench of Justice Ashok Kinagi ruled that there was no title dispute over the Idgah maidan in Hubbali, unlike the Idgah maidan in Bengaluru. The bench ruled that “facts are different” and in this case the Anjuman–i-Islam is not entitled to a benefit as passed by the Supreme Court in the Bengaluru matter.

The High Court observed that the Idgah maidan in Hubbali belonged to the Hubbali Dharwad Municipal Corporation and that the land had been leased for 999 years to the Anjuman-i-Islam. It said the HDMC, however, still had rights over the use of the land.

The Anjuman-i-Islam approached the HC bench following the SC order for status quo in the Bengaluru Idgah maidan case.