Bengaluru Eidgah maidan issue, the Karnataka High Court allows the government to decide on issue and may install a Ganesh Pandal on the site.
The dispute was over whether the two-acre land should be used only as Hindu organisations had sought permission for holding the Ganesh Chaturthi festival on the ground and the Bengaluru Eidgah maidan Karnataka High Court permits the government to determine the final decision.
In fact, earlier on Friday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the state government will decide on implementing the court order regarding allowing religious and cultural activities at the Chamrajpet Eidgah playground for a limited period from August 31 in “letter and spirit”, after holding discussions with the Advocate General.
“The division bench of the High Court has given an order regarding Chamrajpet survey number 40 (Eidgah playground) asking the government to take an appropriate decision, and has analysed how our country is multi-religious. Regarding implementing the court order with letter and spirit, tomorrow the Advocate General, Revenue Minister and I will hold discussions,” Bommai said.
Talking to reporters, he said, everyone’s wishes need to be fulfilled while maintaining peace, and the government will do it.” We will completely study the court order. We will hold a meeting tomorrow on implementing it with letter and spirit, and will decide accordingly,” he added.
A Division Bench of the High Court of Karnataka on Friday modified an interim order of a single judge bench on the Chamrajpet Eidgah playground dispute, saying religious and cultural activities can be allowed by the government there, but for a limited period from August 31.
The court had, on Thursday, ordered that the two-acre land should be used only as a playground and Muslims should be allowed to pray there on only two festivals — Bakrid and Ramzan — till the case was concluded.
Today, the state government approached the Division Bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, with an appeal, and the court said religious and cultural activities can be allowed by the government on the said land.
To a question regarding installing Ganesha idols at Hubballi Eidgah maidan, Bommai said an all-party committee of the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation is looking into it, and will inform everyone on August 29.
“Chamrajpet Eidgah and Hubballi Eidgah are two different matters with respect to title issues and cases regarding them were at High Court and Supreme Court respectively…considering all aspects, the government will abide by the law and the court orders,” he added.
SDPI Holds A Press Conference on Monday’s Outcome
The SDPI is miffed by the Karnataka Karnataka High Court’s judgement and Abdul Majeed politician and State President of the Social Democratic Party of India in Karnataka held a press conference making an appeal to the Government of Karnataka. Stating that the High Court asked the BJP state government to take the final call on the contentious issue, he went on to say that the 1947 and 1991 Places of Worship Act clearly stated that nothing should be changed, meaning no one can claim lands of old worship but leave things as there were.
He also mentioned about 1955 when there was an attempt to start a building, but it was stopped, where even after going to civil court, high court and supreme court, the Eidgah won the outcome of the case.
Abdul Majeed does make an appeal to the government not to allow the groups to use the Eidgah and burial site for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival and to use another area.
Everyone is watching the outcome with interest, will the government heed to Abdul Majeed and the SDPI’s request?
Chamrajpet Eidgah Maidan Issue | SDPI Press Conference
👇 Click the link below to watch full videohttps://t.co/k59NfEoD11#MilliDigest #ChamrajpetEidgah #SDPI #PressConference@sdpofindia @sdpikarnataka @AbdulMajeedSDPI @afsarkodlipet @MRiyaz_SDPI pic.twitter.com/1XPbPAWNUg— MILLI DIGEST (@MilliDigest) August 29, 2022
What Is the Eidgah Maidan Property Dispute About?
Over the years, the 2.1 acres of land in the middle of Chamrajpet, one of the oldest localities of Bengaluru has been gazetted as Waqf property.
Despite it being used as a playground for all, there also exists an Eidgah for prayers on the festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The map of Bengaluru and documents from 1871 and 1938 also show the land to have an Idgah and burial ground
However, the land is being contested by two parties over ownership. Two months ago, the city’s municipal corporation, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) claimed the playground to be its property. Meanwhile, Muslim organisations asserted that the land actually belonged to the Karnataka State Waqf Board.
The Karnataka State Waqf Board claims that the 2.1 acre of contested land is a registered waqf property and that it has been so since the 1850s. Further corroborating their claim, are the records of the Central Muslim Association, which has been the caretaker of the land since 1964.
Several other Muslim organisations have also maintained that the Maidan had an Eidgah and land was used for trading sheep, goats, cattle, and other livestock during Muslim festivals.
After months of asserting their claim over the disputed Eidgah Maidan in Chamarajapete, the BBMP took a surprising U-turn and gave up its demand for the land in June.
Speaking to the reporters on 22 June 2022, Tushar Giri Nath, the Chief Commissioner of BBMP said, “We do not own the land, but had the maidan in our possession.”
Many Hindutva groups like the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Vishwa Sanatana Parishat, Sri Rama Sena, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Jagaran Samithi and Vishwa Hindu Parishad raised their support for the bandh called by Chamarajpet Nagareekara Okkoota Vedike.
The group which mainly consists of members of the BJP like NR Ramesh, Vivek Reddy and Pramila Nesargi has targeted Congress MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan for allegedly conspiring to take over the land along the Waqf board. Resisting the BBMP’s stand, the Hindutva organisations have started door-to-door campaigns, demanding the land be retained as a playground.
Meanwhile, members of Hindutva groups also took to the streets in protests. The outfits also wish to rename the Maidan after Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, the last king of Mysore.