Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Oct 29: The fact that the police department has been denying permission to celebrate Kannada Rajyotsava function at the Eidgah ground at Chamarajapet here citing law and order issues, has received flak from Kannadigas and various organizations.

The locals argue that public places cannot be reserved for a particular caste or religion. They are angry at the fact that the Eidgah ground located in the heart of the city is reserved for the activities of a particular community. The ground is located near the central Kannada Sahitya Parishad.

Eidgah ground at Chamarajapet (file photo)

A meeting held relating to Idgah Ground on September 19, 2006, in which deputy commissioner of police Alok Kumar, MLA Zameer Ahmed, legal expert Prameela Nesargi, former MLA R V Devaraj, CMA president Maqbool Saheb, the then corporator Chandrashekhar and others had participated, had taken a decision to allow religious and other programmes to be held at the Eidgah ground in addition to Muslim community festivities.

The police department has been taking shelter under a Supreme Court judgement of 1962 to support its decision. The decisions taken at the above meeting have been overlooked. Although the matter was again taken up with Alok Kumar when he became city police commissioner, reminding of the decision taken in a meeting chaired by him on Eidgah Maidan, it is said, he did not take interest.

The Supreme Court order had said that the ground can be given only twice a year for enabling Muslim community members to offer prayers, and that the children use the ground for playing in other times.

Rukmangada of Gangakaveri Sports and Cultural Kannada Sangha says that as per the previous decision, Eidgah Maidan should be given for other programmes. He said it is difficult to understand how holding of Rajyotsava creates law and order problem there, as members of all communities participate in this programme.