Bengaluru Civic Agency Gives Up Claim Over Chamarajpet Idgah, Land Belongs To Central Muslim Association (CMA)

The Chamarajpet Eidgah Maidan controversy has taken a new turn after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has taken back its stand on the land saying that it has no ownership of the property.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath on Wednesday told reporters that the Idgah Maidan located in Chamarajpet is not owned by the civic body. He also added that they do not have any authority to respond to the submissions seeking permission to celebrate Independence Day on the ground.

“Since the BBMP doesn’t have ownership of the land and there is an injunction against the civic body from entering the property, there is no question of the civic body permitting others to hold events on the grounds,” he told The Hindu. 

Last month, a few Hindutva groups had sought permission from the BBMP to hold festivals on the ground that is currently used as a playground but is actually a ground for Muslims to offer namaz.

The Controversy

Chamarajpet Idgah exists for decades, and also had a burial ground as well as a Dargah. In 1964, the Supreme Court gave an absolute judgement saying that BBMP has no authority over the land and the land belongs to the Central Muslim Association (CMA).

Speaking to The Cognate, Maulana Shaafi Saadi, Chairman of the Waqf Board said, “During that time, the civic body wanted to construct a ward building on that land. But we did not permit them to do so and they took the case to High Court and later to Supreme Court.”

The CMA had 10 acres of land, which shrunk to two acres and 10 guntas after the burial ground was moved to Mysore Road.

“Eight acres were already illegally encroached and Waqf board properties are being occupied everywhere. We are only left with two acres and 10 guntas now,” Mr. Saadi said.

He said the Apex court passed judgement in their favour because they submitted all the documents and the corporation failed to submit the documents. “It proved that the Idgah maidan belongs to CMA,” he said.

In its judgement, the Court noted that only because the children are playing on the land doesn’t make it a playground, Maulana Saadi said adding, “Even using the word playground for the place is illegal.”

However, BBMP and other Hindutva organisations claimed that it was the civic body’s land. The chairman noted that “it is a contempt of the Supreme Court.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Girinath told The Hindu that the 1974 City Survey shows the grounds as a playground and records the city corporation as the holder of this property.

“Ever since then, the civic body has had possession of the land and in 2006, the corporation also built a building, a public toilet, on that land. Nobody came forward and took objection to either the entry in the city survey, our possession or us building a public toilet there,” Mr. Girinath told the newspaper.

But now, Maulana Saadi said the BBMP commissioner has cleared that the Maidan doesn’t belong to them. He also said if we apply for a khata, they will give it to us. “We have applied for a khata on 20 June.”

While Hindutva organisations across the country have set their eyes on several mosques claiming it was built after razing down temples, right-wing groups in Karnataka had caught hold of the two-acre Eidgah Maidan in Bengaluru’s Chamrajpet area recently.

Earlier, the groups had also claimed that Jamia Masjid in Srirangapatna and Malali mosque in Dakshina Kannada was also constructed after demolishing Hindu temples.