After Karnataka High Court allowed the installation of Ganesh idol at Idgah Maidan in Hubballi, members of the Rani Chennamma Maidan Gajanan Utsav Mahamandal installed the idol of Lord Ganesh for the first time at the space on Wednesday and large number of people including scores of BJP leaders took part in the ‘Maha Mangalarati’ later in the evening.
As a precautionary measure, a huge posse of police personnel and contingents of Rapid Action Force were deployed at the Idgah Maidan. A large part of Idgah Maidan has been barricaded, preventing entry of people towards the qibla wall. Barricades have also been placed around the qibla wall and police personnel are keeping vigil over it.
On Wednesday night, bhajans were sung after ‘maha mangalarati’ to Lord Ganesh’s idol led by Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, Ministers Halappa Achar and Shankar Patil Munenakoppa, MLA Arvind Bellad and others. A large number of people including women took part in the singing of bhajans and ‘maha mangalarati’.
Addressing the gathering Mr. Joshi recalled the agitation for hoisting the national flag at Idgah Maidan held three decades ago, and the subsequent violence-related developments, which ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court declaring that the Idgah Maidan was the property of the municipal corporation.
Earlier speaking to the media, he said that Congress was behind the move of approaching Supreme Court by Anjuman-E-Islam. Although it had already been declared as property of the municipal corporation, some political parties were trying to mislead the people, he said adding that Congress had already bitten the dust in several States for being anti-Hindu and the same would happen in Karnataka too.
Mr. Shettar said that the demand for the installation of Ganesh idol was being made for the past few years and the municipal corporation has permitted and the High Court too has give green signal this time.
Earlier in the day, the municipal corporation staff removed the flex boards banners of V.D. Savarkar, Shivaji, and Bhagat Singh that were installed at the entrance of the Ganesh pandal at Idgah Maidan as the court has restricted the display of banners, flex boards, and advertisements. However, the banner behind the Ganesh idol prominently displays the portraits of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and V.D. Savarkar and it has been allowed.
As per the conditions, the installation of idol is permitted till Friday noon.
Meanwhile, the public celebration of the Ganesh festival in the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad has begun on a grand scale after a gap of two years following the COVID-19 pandemic. The installation processions began on Wednesday afternoon and continued till late at night with members of the Ganesh Mandals taking out processions on the thoroughfare of the twin cities before installing the idols. Although the Police department has banned the use of high decibel sound systems, it was followed in some areas it was followed while others went on as usual.
