BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday sought a response from the state government on a PIL, seeking directions to ensure free entry for the public to the Mahatma Gandhi memorial located on the premises of the Lalit Ashok Hotel in Kumara Krupa, as the entry is restricted to the public now.
Hearing the petition filed by Samarpana, a cultural and social service organisation, represented by General Secretary Shivakumar Hosamani, a division bench of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice S Sujatha asked the government advocate to submit a response.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s advocate, G R Mohan, argued that it is common to see the security personnel of the hotel and the public clash, when they want to visit the memorial. Requesting free entry to the memorial, a representation dated August 7 was given to the government. However, no action has been taken till date to avoid hindrance to the public in gaining entry to the memorial.
A similar representation was given to the Chief Minister and the City Police Commissioner to allow the petitioner to celebrate Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanthi, but no action has been taken, he argued.
He also argued that Gandhiji visited Bengaluru in 1927 and conducted public meetings on Kumara Krupa Road. The memorial was built in memory of the same.
Now, the land on which the memorial is located, has been taken on lease by the Lalit Ashok Hotel. The Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) had built the hotel, and the land, where the memorial was built, was taken over by the Lalit Ashok Hotel on lease. Hence, the hotel cannot barricade or prevent people from visiting the memorial, he argued.