The Karnataka Waqf Board has approached the Supreme Court challenging the recent High Court’s order which permitted the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi at Idgah Maidan in Bengaluru’s Chamarajapet.
The top court bench of Chief Justice U U Lalit and S Ravindra Bhat has agreed to list the plea for hearing on Tuesday.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the body, mentioned the matter before the court and highlighted that the Supreme Court, in 1964, had stated that the municipal corporation of Bangalore had no right over the same.
The High Court has granted permission for the government to consider applications for permission to perform Ganesh Chaturthi there. This will create “religious tensions” as Muslims have been performing their rituals over there for the last six decades, Sibal said.
He added that “unnecessary tensions would be created if the matter is not heard on Tuesday.”
On August 26, a division bench of the High Court allowed the government to consider and pass appropriate orders on the applications received by the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru (Urban) seeking the use of Chamarajapet Idgah Maidan.
The direction came following an appeal by the Karnataka government challenging the order of status quo passed by the High Court on Thursday. The single judge bench had directed the parties to use the Idgah Maidan only as a playground and for Muslims to offer prayers on Ramadan and Bakrid.
Applications had been made seeking permission to organise rituals for Ganesh Chaturthi beginning August 31 at the land.
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Rabia Shireen is a Staff Reporter at The Cognate.
