BBMP does not have Idgah ground: city chief

Chief civic commissioner Tushar Giri Nath said the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has no ownership of the land on which the Idgah ground in Chamarajpet stands. He invited the Karnataka State Auqaf Board to submit relevant documents and claim before the civic body and get an account done in its name.

For the past three weeks, the ownership of the Idgah ground had become controversial after some Hindutva organizations sought permission from the BBMP to organize events on the ground.

“Since the BBMP does not own the land and there is an injunction against the civic body from entering the property, there is no question of the civic body allowing others to organize events on this ground,” he said.

Explaining the confusion, Mr. Giri Nath explained that the 1974 Municipal Survey records the ground as a playground and shows the holder of this property as the Municipal Corporation.

“Since then, the civic body is in possession of the land and in 2006, the corporation built a building, a public toilet on that land as well. No one came forward and neither entered the survey of the city, objected to our occupation or to build public toilets there,” explained Mr. Giri Nath.

However, following the recent controversy, the Karnataka State Board of Auqaf claimed the ownership of the land and made public the relevant documents, the 1964 Supreme Court order and later the 1965 Waqf Notification, which declared the land as waqf property. were shown.

“Karnataka State Board of Auqaf should have represented themselves during the 1974 city survey and recorded their ownership of the land, or they could have claimed anytime later and transferred the account in their name, Which unfortunately they haven’t. Even now, I request the board to come forward, submit the relevant documents, claim, and get an account done,” Mr. Giri Nath said.

However, he was quick to add that an account does not create the ownership of the land and only shows the current possession of the land.