Idgah Maidan: Cops hold meet with Hindu groups

DCP (West) Laxman Nimbargi told TNIE that leaders of Hindu outfits were inivted to attend the meeting on Tuesday and the Muslim community leaders will be called on Thursday.
Police personnel keep vigil at Idgah Maidan in Bengaluru. (Photo| Vinod Kumar T)
Police personnel keep vigil at Idgah Maidan in Bengaluru. (Photo| Vinod Kumar T)

BENGALURU: As tension mounts over the contentious Idgah Maidan issue ahead of the Independence Day, the West Division police convened a peace meeting with several Hindu organisations in Bengaluru on Tuesday. The meeting comes in the wake of local Congress MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan saying that Ganesha pandal will not be allowed at the ground.

DCP (West) Laxman Nimbargi told TNIE that leaders of Hindu outfits were inivted to attend the meeting on Tuesday and the Muslim community leaders will be called on Thursday. “Members of both communities will be asked not to disturb peace on August 15. The leaders will be told to respect the law of the land,” the DCP said.

Vishwa Sanathan Parishad chief S Bhaskaran, members of Srirama Sene and representatives of Chamarajpet Nagarikara Vakoota attended the meeting chaired by jurisdictional ACP and Chamrajpet police inspector at Chamarajpet police station on Tuesday evening.

Recently, BBMP Joint Commissioner (West), S N Srinivasa, had told that the land belongs to the Revenue Department and quashed its earlier order asking the Wakf Board to apply for khatha for 2.5 acres of land. He had also contended that the BBMP was prevented from entering the land from 1955 by Munsif Court, and both High Court and Supreme Court ruled in the Wakf Board’s favour. Subsequently, a gazette notification was issued recognising the land as Wakf Board’s property. The Wakf Board, however, had failed to apply for khatha within the stipulated time. After the order, Hindu outfits had intensified their demand on holding other religious festivals.

FIR LODGED AGAINST HINDU OUTFIT CHIEF FOR HATE SPEECH
Bengaluru:
The Chamrajpet police have booked Vishwa Sanatana Parishat president Bhaskaran S for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and outraging religious feelings. In connection with the ongoing controversy regarding the Idgah grounds in Chamrajpet, Bhaskaran had allegedly given a statement to the media on Monday that the Waqf Board should vacate the premises or else thousands of members of Hindu organisations will demolish the Idgah tower on December 6, the day the Babri masjid was demolished.

Taking his statement seriously, the police have taken up a suo motu case and registered an FIR against him on Tuesday. The police have invoked IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) against Bhaskaran.

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