Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 7: The state high court has taken to task the state government for failing to clear religious centres like temples, mosques, churches and gurdwaras that have been illegally built by encroaching upon public places. Taking umbrage at the state's failure to stick to Supreme /court orders in this issue, it wanted to know whether the government has the will power to stop irregularities happening in the name of god.

A division bench of the high court chaired by Chief Justice A S Oka, and Justice Hemant Chandanagoudar observed that the behaviour of the government gives an indication that it does not plank to execute the directives issued by the Supreme Court and high court. It said in clear terms that is cannot tolerate such a stand.

As per the Supreme Court orders, illegal religious buildings which cropped up in public land after September 29, 2009, have to be demolished at any cost. Instead of ordering clearance of all the illegal religious buildings, the Supreme Court only asked the government to remove recent buildings which came up after the said deadline, and therefore there is no question of any compromise on this issue, the court stated. The court said that the affidavit filed by the chief secretary of the government cannot be accepted, and ordered for filing fresh affidavit.

The advocate representing the government promised to file rectified affidavit. The high court ordered to file the new affidavit before February 4.