Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)
Puttur, Mar 30: The high court of Karnataka has ordered for reprinting of invitations for the annual festival of Lord Mahalingeshwara temple here, without including the name of the deputy commissioner (DC) of the district.
The high court also restrained Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner (DC), A B Ibrahim, from taking part in the festival and performing religious rituals there.
Devotees of the above temple had objected to the inclusion of the name of the DC in the temple invitation, which they had said violates laws governing temple administration.
The state government had said that the DC was in charge of the the muzrai department under Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Chairtable Endowments Act in Dakshina Kannada and that the DC's name appears in pursuance of protocol. DC Ibrahim himself had clarified that the very next day of his taking over charge as the DC here, additional deputy commissioner of the district was handed over power as deputy commissioner of the muzrai department for the purpose of the said law.
A division bench of the HC comprising Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice Ravi Malimath, which took up a public interest litigation filed by Sri Mahalingeshwara Devara Bhakta Samiti and Bhujanga Gowda, has now upheld their petition. Various religious rituals connected with the annual car festival of the temple are scheduled to be organized between April 10 and 20.
During the proceedings, advocate general of the state, Madhusudan R Nayak, concurred that persons other than Hindus cannot be appointed as administrators for Hindu temples, and as such, it would not be appropriate for the DC, A B Ibrahim, to take part in car festival, which was accepted by the high court.
At the same time, the single judge bench presided over by Justice A S Bopanna, which took up petition filed by Naveen Kulal of Vishwa Hindu Parishat, objecting to the invitation for the car festival having been issued in the name of the DC, disposed off the petition by ordering to reprint and distribute the invitations without the name of the DC.
Right-wing groups like VHP had condemned the inclusion of the DC's name in the temple invitation, stating that it was a violation of the law, and warned of holding protests. MLA Shankuntala Shetty too had raised objections, only to retract later. Special prayers were held by devotees and locals in the temple premises for a favourable court decision.