Apex Court Orders Status Quo on Bengaluru’s Idgah Maidan, Police Carry Out Flag at Idgah

New Delhi: Refusing to grant permission for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at Idgah Maidan in Bengaluru, Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered status quo on land by both parties.

The top court was hearing an appeal filed by the Karnataka Waqf Board challenging the order of the Karnataka High Court. The High Court had allowed the government to take a decision on the ground’s use.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Indira Banerjee asked the parties to approach the Karnataka High Court for the resolution of the dispute. 

“The issues raised in the Special Leave Petition may be agitated by both parties before the High Court. In the meanwhile, the status quo as of today will be maintained by both sides. SLP is disposed of,” the bench also comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and M M Sundresh said.

In the Supreme Court today, the Waqf board counsel Dushyant Dave said : “Don't give an impression to religious minorities that their rights can be trampled upon like this.”

Earlier in the day, before a two-judge bench, the board’s lawyer stressed that the Idgah land title is in the board's name since 1881. While Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the Karnataka state government said,  “This is an open land with no boundaries... Kindly permit the government to use the land for tomorrow and the day after. The state will take care of any threat perception.”

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Earlier this month, the Karnataka revenue department had declared that the Idgah Maidan belonged to it even as there’s an ownership dispute between the Waqf Board and the city administrative body – the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). 

Meanwhile, heavy police security has been deployed at Idgah maidan. Flag march is being conducted by security personnel at the maidan in Chamarajpet in Bengaluru. 

#WATCH | Karnataka: Security personnel conduct a flag march near the Eidgah Maidan in Bengaluru's Chamarajpet, ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi. pic.twitter.com/pFk1ExAYq3

— ANI (@ANI) August 30, 2022