A day after the monthly council meeting resolved to constitute a House committee to look in the issue of allowing Ganesha pandal at the controversial Idgah Maidan in Hubballi, members of AIMIM (All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen) have filed their objection before it against allowing any type activity including religious activities.
Led by Joint Secretary of Dharwad district unit of AIMIM Vijay Guntral, party leaders Shafaqat Badiger, Imtiyaz Bilipasar, Moula Kumatakar and others, the AIMIM members staged a demonstration on the HDMC premises in Hubballi and submitted their objection.
Addressing the protestors, Mr. Vijay Guntral said that, the decision to set up House panel on allowing Ganesha pandal at Idgah Maidan went against High Court and Supreme Court orders pertaining to Idgah Maidan row.
In the memorandum addressed to the Municipal Commissioner, Mayor and Hubballi Urban Tahsildar, the AIMIM members have quoted the Karnataka High Court Order in 1992 (18/6/1992) and Supreme Court Order in 2019 and said that council’s decision was against the court orders.
They have claimed that while permitting mass prayer twice in a year, the courts had held that the people of Hubballi had not ‘customary rights’ on the Idgah Maidan and hence no other activity should be allowed. Especially at a time when the city was witnessing some economic growth, the municipal corporation should not allow any attempt to disturb peace and harmony in the city, they have requested in the memorandum.
Will celebrate
Earlier in the day, Sri Rama Sene chief Pramod Mutalik objected to setting up House panel on the Idgah issues saying that there was no need for it as the Municipal Commissioner had the authority to decide on the matter. He demanded that the panel too should allow the celebration of Ganesha festival at Idgah Maidan and if it was not allowed then they would go ahead with it even if prohibitory orders were issued. “We are ready to face bullets for the cause”, he said.
It might be recalled that the house panel formed by the municipal council has been given time till Monday to submit its report on the issue.
