The peace and tranquility at Bababudangiri – the abode of a Sufi saint, revered by both the Hindus and Muslims for centuries – is once again sought to be disturbed by the Sangh parivar with the so-called Datta mala abhiyan some time next week.

For the past one decade or so, the various Sangh Parivar outfits have been trying to disturb communal harmony in the sylvan mountain ranges of Bababudangiri in Chikmagalur by raking up a non-existent controversy.

They have made no bones about their intention to convert it into another “Ayodhya of the south” with various provocative actions, including shobha yatra, sankeerthana yatra and so on. Thanks to the sanity shown by the people of Karnataka at large, their efforts to whip up communal discord have been a miserable failure, but apparently they are in no mood to give up.

In the year 2003, the then S M Krishna government made the mistake of allowing certain rituals to be performed against the express orders of the High Court. But, since then, both the government and the court have ensured that no rituals other than those permitted till 1975 are allowed in the interests of communal harmony.

But, that has not prevented the Sangh Parivar outfits including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the BJP, and the Bajrang Dal from trying to raise the communal temperature every year. The worst was expected last year with the BJP in power in Karnataka for the first time, but its coalition partner, the JD(S), fortunately, ensured that no untoward incident happened.

The Sangh Parivar has again threatened to launch the Datta mala abhiyan from October 24 at Bababudangiri hills and the whole of Chikmagalur district is tense. The Karnataka Koma Souharda Vedike, a body of intellectuals, has already appealed to the state administration to ban the abhiyan and maintain peace.

With the state having come under President’s rule, it is now the responsibility of the Governor, Rameshwar Thakur, to ensure that law and order is maintained. Mr Thakur, while assuring that “necessary and appropriate action will be taken to maintain peace,” is also reported to have mentioned that “the administration will take all steps to protect the religious rights of the people.”

As this second sentence gives room for several interpretations, the Governor should clarify in unequivocal terms that the government will strictly abide by the orders of the court and there will no scope for any mischief at Bababudangiri.