HIGHLIGHTS
1. Preparations are underway to install the Ganesh idol at Idgah ground at Hubbali-Dharwad
2. The Karnataka High Court dismissed a plea to stop Ganesh festival celebrations on the ground
3. Ganesh Puja festival will be celebrated for three days

Preparations for the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi at Idgah ground at Hubbali-Dharwad in Karnataka have begun after the Karnataka High court refused to revise its previous order allowing the placing of Ganesha idols on the ground. In a late-night hearing on Tuesday, the high court said that the land in Hubballi is not in dispute and rejected pleas challenging permission for allowing the rituals here.

Following the decision of the court, preparations are underway for installing the Ganesh idol on the ground. Union Minister Prahlad Joshi also visited Huballi ground and hailed the decision of the court and said that Ganeshotsav should not be opposed.

Karnataka HC has delivered a good judgment. I welcome it. Needlessly, an effort was made to create a controversy. The neighboring Idgah Maidan is public property. Apart from permitting Namaz on two occasions, this property belongs to the corporation. Therefore, there should not have been any scope for controversy, but some of them, including some political parties, opposed it. This is not a good development. Nobody should defy the order and celebrate the festival for the next three days peacefully. I appeal (to a community) that we don’t object to the offering of namaz. Likewise, Ganeshotsav should not be opposed.

The puja will be conducted traditionally and the festival will be celebrated for three days as per the orders of the Municipal Corporation.

Rani Chennamma Maidan belongs to the Municipal Corporation, so we had requested on behalf of Samiti Mahamandal that this Ganpati Utsav should be allowed here. We’ll install the Ganpati idol within half an hour.
Puja will be conducted traditionally & we’re going to celebrate this festival for 3 days as per the direction of Municipal Corporation. We’re going to follow all instructions that have been given.

WHAT DID THE HIGH COURT SAY?
The Karnataka High Court dismissed a plea to stop Ganesh festival celebrations at Idgah ground at Hubbali-Dharwad. The high court, after hearing the arguments, observed that the facts in the Hubballi case were different from the facts in the case regarding the Idgah Maidan in Bengaluru which was in dispute before the Supreme Court.

The bench noted that “serious questions” regarding the ownership of the land in Bengaluru were raised before the Supreme Court. However, there was no dispute regarding the ownership of land in Hubballi.

The high court was hearing a writ petition filed by Anjuman-E-Islam, Hubballi after the Supreme Court order stated that the top court order on Bengaluru Idgah Maidan should apply to Hubballi as well. The Karnataka High Court had earlier granted the liberty to the petitioners to come back to the court after the SC proceedings had concluded.

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