Amid tight security arrangements, Ganesh Chathurthi was celebrated at the Hubballi Idgah ground on Wednesday after the Karnataka High Court granted permission for it.
This comes after the high court in a late-night hearing on Tuesday, upheld an order of the Dharwad municipal commissioner allowing the Ganesha festival to be held at the Idgah.
Anjuman-e-Islam had claimed that the land was protected under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which says no religious place of worship can be converted.
Justice Ashok S Kinagi, however, held that the property belonged to the Dharwad municipality and Anjuman-e-Islam was only a lease holder for a period of 999 years at a fee of Rs 1 per year.
The high court said the Idgah Maidan was not a religious place of worship and was allowed for prayers only during Bakrid and Ramzan. During other times, the land was used for purposes like a marketplace and a parking lot.
Further, the court maintained that the status quo ordered by the Supreme Court in the Bengaluru Chamrajpet Idgah Maidan was also not applicable to the dispute in Hubballi.
On Tuesday, the Top Court had ordered both the parties to maintain status quo at the ground which means that Ganesha Chaturthi was not permitted to be celebrated at the Chamrajapet land.
Sriram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik and his supporters on Wednesday installed the idol of Ganesha and offered prayers for the festival at the controversial land in Hubballi.
Terming the day as ‘historic’, Muthalik told PTI, “We performed the prayers within the legal framework. Some miscreants had attempted to stop us but we performed our Pooja, which is not only a matter of joy for the people of Hubballi but also across north Karnataka.”
He said the district administration has allowed them to conduct pooja for three days at the site.
