Explained: What Is Bengaluru’s Chamrajpet Idgah Maidan Dispute All About?

Security was beefed up in & around Idgah maidan in Bengaluru's Chamarajapete, as Hindutva groups called for a bandh.

Right-wing Hindutva groups have  accused BBMP for changing their stand on the Idgah maidan, held a bandh and demanded that the government retain the disputed land as a playground, in Bengaluru's Chamarajapete.

(Image: Vibhushita Singh/The Quint)

Bengaluru police beefed up security in and around Idgah Maidan in Chamrajpet, as pro-Hindutva organisations and Federation of Chamrajpet Citizens called for a bandh demanding that the ground be retained as a playground and not be acceded to the Waqf Board.

Tension prevailed in the area surrounding the ground, with all traders drawing down their shutters and also extending their support to the Hindutva groups by pasting pamphlets in front of their shops.

Schools, colleges, and other educational institutions were closed for a day. Meanwhile, the police also told The Quint that a total of 350 constables, four teams of state reserve police, 60 assistant sub-inspectors, 30 sub-inspectors, 12 inspectors led by four different assistant commissioner of police were deployed at the Maidan to maintain peace.

What Is the Idgah Maidan Property Dispute About?

Over the years, the 2.1 acres of land in the middle of Chamrajpet, one of the oldest localities of Bengaluru has been gazetted as Waqf property.

Despite it being used as playground for all, there also exists an Idgah for prayers on festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The map of Bengaluru and documents from 1871 and 1938 also show the land to have a Idgah and burial ground.

However, the land is being contested by two parties over ownership. Two months ago, the city’s municipal corporation, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) claimed the playground to be its property. Meanwhile, Muslim organisations asserted that the land actually belonged to the Karnataka State Waqf Board.

What Are the Claims Made by BBMP?

According to the BBMP, as per the 1974 metropolis survey, the Idgah maidan was indicated to be a playground and civic property belonging to the city’s corporation. The BBMP had also argued that neither the Karnataka State Board of AUQAF partook in 1974 survey of the city nor did any Muslim organisation record their claim over the ownership of the disputed land.

Since the ownership was not transferred to any Muslim organisation's name, the BBMP has claimed that the body has been in possession of the disputed land since 2006. The body has also built pavements around the Maidan, a public toilet, and a facility to drink water, BBMP claims.

The dispute ran into controversy again in June 2022, after Hindutva organisations sought permission from the BBMP to hold celebrations during Ganesh Chathurthi, Dasara, and Deepavali.

What Are the Claim by Muslim Organisations?

The Karnataka State Waqf Board asserts that the 2.1 acre of contested land is a registered waqf property and that it has been so since 1850s. Further corroborating their claim, are the records of Central Muslim Association, which has been the caretaker of the land since 1964.

Several other Muslim organisations have also maintained that the Maidan had an idgah and land was used for trading sheep, goat, cattle, and other livestock during Muslims festivals.

The local Muslims of Chamarajpet further added that the Maidan was an open market for farmers from neighbouring districts of Kolar, Mandya, Mysuru, Tumkur, and Chikkaballapur to sell their produce during fairs.

BBMP's U-turn and Demands by Hindutva Groups

After months of asserting their claim over the disputed Idgah Maidan in Chamarajapete, the BBMP took a dramatic U-turn and gave up its claim over the land in June.

Speaking to the reporters on 22 June 2022, Tushar Giri Nath, the Chief Commissioner of BBMP said, "We do not own the land, but had the maidan in our possession."

Quoting the city survey records from years after 1964, the BBMP said that the body acted as the owner of the land and claimed that a page was missing from the court order copy, which upheld the petition by Muslim parties.

Further, the BBMP has asked the Waqf board to initiate the procedure to change the ownership document and submit all the necessary documents to verify the records.

Several Hindutva groups like the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Vishwa Sanatana Parishat, Sri Rama Sena, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Jagaran Samithi and Vishwa Hindu Parishad extended their support to the bandh called by Chamarajpet Nagareekara Okkoota Vedike, a federation of denizens.

The group which mainly consists of members of the BJP like NR Ramesh, Vivek Reddy and Pramila Nesargi has targeted Congress MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan for allegedly conspiring to take over the land along the Waqf board.

Opposing the BBMP's stand, the Hindutva organisations have started door to door campaign, demanding the land be retained as a playground.

Meanwhile, members of Hindutva groups also took to streets, made sure that the shopkeepers did not open their shops and also forcefully entered the Maidan on 12 July 202, only to be detained by the police. The outfits also wish to rename the Maidan after Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, the last king of Mysore.