Hubbali (Karnataka):The Karnataka High Court in a late-night hearing on Tuesday allowed the Ganesh Chaturthi rituals to be held at the Hubballi Idgah maidan by upholding an order of the Dharwad municipal commissioner. Justice Ashok S Kinagi held that the property belonged to the Dharwad municipality and Anjuman-e-Islam was only a leaseholder for a period of 999 years at a fee of Re 1 per year. This comes after the Supreme Court ordered status quo in Bengaluru's Idgah Maidan case, earlier on the same day.
The municipal commissioner's order was challenged in the High Court by Anjuman-e-Islam. The court had allowed the commissioner's order but at the same time, the Supreme Court was hearing the issue of the festival being allowed at the Chamrajpet Idgah maidan in Bengaluru.
Anjuman-e-Islam had claimed that the property in question was protected under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which says no religious place of worship can be converted. The high court, however, said in the case of the property in question, it was not a religious place of worship and was allowed for prayers only during Bakrid and Ramzan. During other times, it was used for purposes like a marketplace and a parking lot. The Supreme Court order of status quo in the Bengaluru Chamrajpet ground was also not applicable to this case, the high court said.