New Delhi: The SC after a ‘status quo’ while hearing the petition by the Karnataka Waqf Board denied permission for Ganesh Celebrations at Bengaluru’s Idgah Maidan.
A three judge bench of Justices Indira Banerjee, Abhay S Oka, and M M Sundresh issued an interim order for “status quo as of today”, meaning the ground will not be used for the festival.
Earlier in the day, before a two-judge bench, the board said its permission is mandatory for any event at Idgah Maidan. “The land title is in the board’s name since 1881,” the lawyer stressed. When the bench asked how Independence Day and other celebrations had been held on the ground earlier, he replied, “By consent. Even children are allowed to play… But now the order is for a religious function.”
After Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the Govt stressed that permission be given, the waqf board called for urgent hearing saying “it will become infructuous if not heard today”.
The two-judge bench — Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia — then referred the issue to the Chief Justice, citing a difference of opinion. CJI UU Lalit listed it before a three-judge bench.