Daijiworld Media Network
Kalaburagi, Feb 26: The Karnataka Police have increased security around Laadle Mashak Dargah after the court granted permission for devotees to carry out Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga worship on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri.
The security arrangements have been made under the supervision of the Superintendents of Police (SPs) from Kalaburagi and Raichur districts. A total of 1,150 police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incidents. Additional security measures have also been put in place in Aland town.
The controversy surrounds the worship of the Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga, which has been installed within the premises of Laadle Mashak Dargah.
On Tuesday, the Kalaburagi court, in response to a petition filed by Hindu organisations, granted permission for the worship of the Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on 26 February, in celebration of Maha Shivaratri. However, the court denied permission for Andola Siddalinga Seer to attend the worship.
Hindu activists had approached the court seeking permission to worship the Shivalinga at the dargah. The court allowed 15 Hindu activists, including the petitioner Siddaramaiah Hiremath, to perform the worship.
Furthermore, the court instructed the petitioner to submit a list of participants along with their Aadhaar cards to the district administration before the worship takes place.
Laadle Mashak Dargah is named after Laadle Mashak, a Sufi saint who gained the affection of people in the 14th century. The dargah also houses the 'Samadhi' of Hindu saint Raghava Chaitanya, who lived in the 15th century. According to sources, Raghava Chaitanya was the guru of Samarth Ramadas, who was revered by Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji.
The Shivalinga is placed on the Samadhi of Raghava Chaitanya and is known as the Raghava Chaitanya Shivling.
As tensions arose between the Hindu and Muslim communities, the issue of land ownership has now been taken to court. Hindus who visited Laadle Mashak Dargah had traditionally worshipped the Raghava Chaitanya Shivling.
Last year, both Shivaratri and Urus were celebrated on the same day, and the court had permitted both Muslim and Hindu worshippers to conduct their respective rituals. Muslims were allotted time between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., while Hindus were allowed from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The court had allowed only 15 people from the Hindu community to participate in the worship.
In 2022, communal violence erupted in Aland town during Maha Shivaratri, leading to the arrest of 167 individuals, including 10 women. The violence broke out when 'Gangabhisheka' (the cleansing of the Shivling with water from the holy Ganga) was being performed. A group suddenly began stone pelting and engaged in violence.
The police seized piles of stones, rods, and sticks from the rooftops of nearby houses. Vehicles belonging to former Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, New and Renewable Energy Bhagwanth Khuba, local MLA, and BJP leaders were targeted. The vehicles of the District Commissioner and Superintendent of Police were also damaged in the stone pelting incident.
Former BJP MLA Subhash Guttedar, from the Aland constituency, had raised concerns in the 2021 Winter Session in Belagavi, urging the government to provide protection to the historically significant Raghava Chaitanya Samadhi and Shivalinga, following an alleged incident of desecration. This demand sparked outrage among certain sections of the community.