Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at Bengaluru’s Eidgah Maidan will not be held, as per order by the Supreme Court
- Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations will not be held at Bengaluru’s Eidgah Maidan, as per an “status quo” order by the Supreme Court on a petition by the Karnataka Waqf Board
- The High Court had earlier stated that the government may give permissions, but the Waqf board went to the Supreme Court, arguing that no other religious festivals have been held there “for 200 years”.
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at Bengaluru’s Eidgah Maidan will not be held, as per an order of “status quo” by the Supreme Court today on a petition by the Karnataka Waqf Board. This ended a deadlock just in time for the Hindu festival, Ganesh Chaturthi, tomorrow and day after, as the state government insists on giving permissions to set up pandals.
The High Court had earlier stated that the government may give permissions, but the Waqf board went to the Supreme Court, arguing that no other religious festivals have been held there “for 200 years”. The court’s three-judge bench then went on to order “status quo as of today” at the 2.5-acre ground.
During the hearing, the state’s lawyer asked for “a government-managed temple” to be allowed for two days, saying that “no permanent structure shall be built”. At this, the board’s lawyer retorted back saying, “The then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh also gave assurance for the Babri Masjid case but you know what happened there,” he said, referring to the 1992 demolition of the mosque, in place of which a Ram Temple is now being built following the Supreme Court judgment.
“Do not give the impression to religious minorities that their rights can be trampled upon,” the lawyer, Dushyant Dave, told the court. “No religious event from any other community has been held on this property… and it has been declared as Waqf Property as per the law. Suddenly in 2022, they now claim that it’s disputed land, and wish to hold Ganesh Chaturthi festival here,” the board said.
The board also mentioned the “elections due next year,” hinting at political motives behind the government’s move prior to assembly elections scheduled in 2024. When the court asked state lawyer Mukul Rohatgi if there had been previous instances of such events at the Maidan, he said that, “It cannot be the basis for opposing such an event now.”
“In Delhi, Dussehra effigies are being burned everywhere. Will people say ‘don’t carry out this Hindu festival’? We must be a little broadminded. In Gujarat, streets and lanes are cordoned off for festivals. What will happen if Ganesh Chaturthi is only allowed for two days?” he said but Dushyant Dave countered saying that, “I wonder if there’s any temple in this country where a minority community will be allowed to enter for prayers.”
Kapil Sibal, also the board’s lawyer, referred to “suo motu First Information Report” of August 9 on a complaint that said that “a dispute between Muslim and Hindu community, the said land belongs to Revenue Department”. Technically, this FIR was filed against a Hindu right-wing activist for “threatening to demolish a prayer wall at the Eidgah Maidan” which Mr Sibal said was “very disturbing”.
Karnataka has seen growing communal violence in recent months, which has led to demands that BJP remove Basavaraj Bommai as Chief Minister. Earlier, the matter came up before a smaller bench of two judges, but they could not agree with each other, so Chief Justice of India Uday Umesh Lalit brought the case before a three-judge bench, Justices Indira Banerjee, AS Oka and MM Sundresh.
The board’s plea came as an appeal against an August 26 order by the Karnataka High Court, which had allowed the government to take a decision based on the ground’s use.
