M'lore: Demolition of Mastikatte at Karangalpady Creates Chaos
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network- Mangalore (RS/SB)
Mangalore, Nov 28: The area surrounding Chandramouleeshwara Temple, opposite Karangalpady market here turned tense for a while on Saturday November 28 afternoon when members of the various saffron outfits joined in the agitating members of the management committee of the temple. The group was protesting the demolition of Mastikatte near the temple to facilitate concreting and road widening works being undertaken by the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC).
An idol too is installed at Mastikatte with a peepal plant, which has a lot of religious significance. The demolition of the Mastikatte naturally irked locals. The labourers of the contractor, who has taken up the road works using a bulldozer, demolished the Mastikatte partially in order to resize the same for smooth concreting and road widening works. The management committee members witnessing the same complained to the deputy commissioner V Ponnuraj (DC), mayor Shankar Bhat and member of parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel.
As soon as the word spread, locals and members of the various saffron outfits gathered at the place and the situation turned tense. Police were deployed to control the situation. However, no undue incidents occurred until the arrival of the DC.
DC held a meeting with the temple management committee members on the temple premises. At the meeting the leaders alleged the demolition works taken up the labourers of the contractors in the name of road widening hurt the religious sentiments of the devotees worshipping the place. Further, they also alleged MCC of disturbing the sanctity of the area. The MCC engineer, who was present at the meet clarified that the portion of the Mastikatte was demolished only to resize it and make it convenient for road widening works.
At the meeting DC agreed to stop the work for time being to facilitate performing rituals that needs to be undertaken before resizing the Mastikatte. Further, he also said that only a portion of the road will be taken up for widening and the construction on the other portion will be kept pending to be taklen up for widening in the future date after due analysis.
Mayor Shankar Bhat, Mangalore south MLA N Yogish Bhat, member of parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel, BJP leaders Monappa Bhandary, Jagdish Shenava, Shrikar Prabhu and Vinay L Shetty were also present.