After hearing intense arguments, the Supreme Court on Tuesday told the Karnataka government to maintain the status quo at the Idgah Maidan in Bengaluru’s Chamarajpet, adding that Ganesh Chaturthi puja can be held somewhere else, instead.
A bench of Justices Indira Banerjee, Abhay S. Oka, and M.M. Sundresh said: “The writ petition is pending before the single bench of (Karnataka) High Court and has been fixed for hearing on September 23, 2022. All questions/issues may be agitated in the High Court. In the meanwhile, status quo, as of date, with regard to the land in question shall be maintained by both the parties. The special leave petitions are, accordingly, disposed of.”The top court heard the matter for nearly two hours after routine working hours, as Chief Justice U.U. Lalit referred the case to a three-judge bench headed by Justice Banerjee.
The bench orally told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Karnataka government, “You have the puja somewhere else. And go back to the high court.”The Karnataka Waqf Board argued before the top court that such religious festivals have not been held at the place “for 200 years”. The petitions were filed by The Central Muslim Association of Karnataka and the Karnataka State Board of Auqaf agains