The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Datta Peetha: High Court reserves verdict

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Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006
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Datta Peetha: High Court reserves verdict

Staff Reporter

Petitioners have sought a direction for stopping Shoba Yatra

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Monday reserved its verdict on the Datta Peetha issue, wherein three petitioners had urged the court to direct the State Government to maintain law and order, monitor the Datta Jayanthi celebrations and also stop the Shoba Yatra.

The petitioners — K.N. Nissar Ahmed, Shahbuddin Khan and M.P. Sunderesh — also sought a direction to the Government to act in accordance with the Government Order of February 25, 1989 and the March 13, 2006 order of the High Court in an earlier writ petition on the case.

The petitioners said they were law-abiding citizens and also worshipped at the Guru Dattatreya Bababudan Swamy dargah situated at Inam Dattatreya Peetha village, Attigundi Post, in Chikmagalur district.

They said the Datta shrine, situated about 30 km from Chikmagalur, in recent years had become the bone of contention and dispute between two communities.

They said the shrine was dedicated to Sufi saint Dada Hayat Mir Kalandar who came to the area 1,200 years ago.

The shrine, they said, was revered by both Hindus and the Muslims. While the Hindus worshipped Dattatreya, the Muslims worshipped the saint.

They said for centuries there was no problem between the communities, but communal forces were trying to create a divide and claiming that the shrine belonged to Hindus.

The petitioners alleged that the Sangh Parivar, Bajrang Dal and Srirama Sena had joined hands with the Minister in-charge of the district, D.H. Shankaramurthy, and Chikmagalur MLA, C.T. Ravi, in trying to take out the Shoba Yatra and also in inflaming passions among the people on the Datta Peetha issue.

They accused the State Government of dereliction of duty and said it was not committed to upholding the law and order in the area.

They said the State had the power to prevent and regulate through a Government Order any event or incident likely to inflame passions and create trouble. Yet, the Government had not taken any action.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice S. Abdul Nazir reserved orders on the petition.

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