Hubballi Mayor orders renaming of Idgah Maidan after Rani Chennamma

The order of the mayor followed a ruling during its general body meeting held last Thursday. Before that, BJP Corporator Santosh Chavan had brought this issue to the attention of the HDMC on August 28 through a notice.

HDMC Mayor Anchatgeri told reporters it was decided to rename it after Rani Chennamma in the general body meeting as it is HDMC property, and said they have also decided to erect a board. He claimed there is no official name for the ground.

The Idgah Maidan has been used for various purposes in the past. According to reports, the ground was used for political rallies for several decades before Independence and by the Christian missionary society Basel Mission and others. Traditionally, local Muslims offer Ramzan and Bakrid prayers at the Idgah Maidan.

While the ground is still being called Idgah Maidan by local residents, rightwing Hindu activists have been referring to it as Kittur Rani Chennamma Ground. On record, the ground name continues to be Idgah Maidan.

The Idgah Maidan in Hubballi was recently at the centre of a controversy over the celebration of Ganesh Utsav. Now, the AIMIM and Samata Sainik Dala have approached the municipal corporation seeking permission to celebrate Tipu Jayanti on November 10.

HDMC commissioner Gopal Krishna B told The Indian Express they are yet to take a call on whether to give permission but will consult all stakeholders before taking the call. “We will follow the same procedures of how we consulted the elected representatives of the corporation before making a decision. In this case also, we will do the same though only two days are left for the event,” he added.