HDMC permits installation of Ganesha idol at Idgah Maidan

Hubballi: After the Dharwad bench of the Karnataka high court dismissed petitions seeking to halt the installation of Ganesha idol at Idgah Maidan, the HDMC commissioner has given permission to Rani Channamma Maidan Gajanana Utsava Maha Mandali (RCMGUMM), Hubballi to install Ganesha idol at Idgah Maidan on Friday night, subject to conditions.As there was a delay in giving permission, BJP members led by MLA Arvind Bellad staged a day-and-night dharna on the HDMC premises. HDMC’s general body meeting had decided to allow one organisation to install an idol at Idgah Maidan on August 31st, but Anjuman-E-Islam filed a petition in the high court seeking a stay on HDMC general body to allow the installation of Ganesha idol at Idgah Maidan. After hearing the case, the high court dismissed the petition filed by Anjuman-E-Islam on Friday. Based on this judgment, the HDMC commissioner gave permission to the RCMGUMM to install the Ganesh idol.The HDMC authority had given permission to install the Ganesh idol last year for three days. For the second time, RCGUMM has availed permission to install an idol at Idgah Maidan.Ishwar Ullagaddi, commissioner, HDMC told STOI that as they were waiting for the court’s verdict, the process of giving permission got delayed. Now, the decks have been cleared after the court’s verdict. We have received applications from four organisations, seeking permission. After verifying all applications, we finally gave permission to Rani Channamma Maidan Gajanan Utsava Maha Mandali to install an idol at Idgah Maidan for three days from September 19 to 21. “We have put some conditions such as the organisers have to complete the process of installing the Ganesha idol between 6 am to 8 am on Sept 19 and the immersion should start at 12 noon on Sept 21. Organisers have to maintain law and order and abide by our conditions strictly. If any untoward incident happens, organizers will be held responsible,” he said.Sanjeev Badaskar, president, RCMGUMM, Hubballi, said that they have begun preparations to install a Ganesha idol at Idgah. We are also inviting leaders of all communities to participate in the festival. We have also requested HDMC authorities to allow us to install an idol between 9am and 10.30am instead of 6am to 8am. We are also adhering to all conditions laid down by the civic authority. We will take out a procession from Murusavir mutt to Idgah Maidan on Sept 19 to install the Ganesha idol, and we will start the immersion procession at 11.45am on Sept 21. Our members will also be deployed for round-the-clock security along with the police, he said.Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner Renuka Sukumar said that they have made elaborate security arrangements in the city, including Idgah Maidan, to ensure the peaceful and smooth conduct of the Ganesha festival. We are deploying 3,500 staff with an additional 2,500 staff, 15 KSRP and 5 RAF platoons for festival security, she said.