On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Bengaluru Idgah Maidan case should proceed as usual and prohibited the area from hosting Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. The Supreme Court was informed earlier in the day by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the Karnataka government had approved the use of the Bengaluru Idgah ground for the Ganesh Utsav on Wednesday and Thursday for two days.
A two-judge bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia referred the case to a three-judge bench because “there is a difference of opinion among the judges,” and the new bench is made up of Justices Indira Banerjee, A S Oka, and MM Sundresh. The top court issued the ruling while hearing an appeal against the Karnataka High Court order in the case. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) was also given permission to bring up the issue before the two-judge panel.
On August 25, Karnataka High Court ruled that the government could only utilize the area as a playground. That too on occasions like Independence Day and Republic Day. A division bench changed the order on appeal a day later, allowing the government to decide what to do with the land.
In opposition to the proposals, the state Waqf board had filed a petition with the Supreme Court. Senior lawyer and Waqf attorney Kapil Sibal requested a quick hearing on the subject. He warned the bench that “unnecessary tensions will be created” if it is not done quickly. According to Sibal, Muslims have been cultivating the area for many years.
History
Sources had earlier claimed that the Karnataka government might permit a temple associated with the Muzrai department. They might erect a one-day pandal at Bengaluru’s contentious Idgah Maidan on August 31 in honor of Ganesh Chathurthi.
Hindutva groups have been pressuring the BJP government to erect a Ganesh statue on the ground in Bengaluru. Earlier, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike ruled that the 2.5-acre Idgah Maidan belonged to the state rather than the Waqf board.
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