Ganesha idol at Idgah Maidan in Hubbali? Decision by August 29

Hubbali, Aug 26: A floor committee of the Hubbali-Dharwad Municipal Corporation will decide if a Ganesha idol should be installed at the Idgah Maidan here following a demand made by some pro-Hindutva outfits.

The committee will submit its report by 11 am on August 29. The committee will have five members-three from the ruling party and two from the opposition, Mayor Iresh Anchtageri said.

The committee will have a free hand in preparing the report and decide on collecting opinions and other aspects, he said. The report by the committee will be final and everyone will have to abide by its recommendations, the Mayor also said.

Some members had suggested as the matter was a sensitive one an open discussion on it could be counter-productive. Kavita Kabber of the Congress said that instead of bringing the Idgah Maidan matter to the corporation, as an additional subject, the matter could have been discussed behind closed doors.

The BJP members requested the Mayor to allow the installation of the idol. Niranjan Hiremath and Imran Yaligar urged that the subject be dropped from any discussion.
Najeer Honyal of the AIMM said that three days was too less for the floor committee to take a decision. The committee should be given more time, he added.