Amid high-pitched slogans, loud music, dance and display of huge saffron flags, the Ganapati idol installed at Idgah Maidan near Chennamma Circle in Hubballi for three days was immersed in Thursday after over a four hour-long massive procession by BJP and Hindu workers.
Heavy police bundobust was in place, while vehicular traffic was diverted to prevent the movement of vehicles between Sangolli Rayanna Circle and Indira Glass House Cross during the procession. BJP MLAs Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Arvind Bellad, Mahesh Tenginakai, M R Patil and others participated in the procession, which marked the conclusion of the three-day Ganeshotsav organised by Rani Channamma Maidan Gajanan Utsav Mahamandali. Shriram Sena chief Pramod Muthalilk also visited the Ganapati pandal.
Actively supporting the Mahamandali to hold Ganeshotsav at the same Maidan, where the national flag hoisting agitation had caused the BJP's rise in the state especially in North Karnataka region in 1990s, is seen as a preparation by the BJP leaders for coming Lok Sabha elections to strengthen its base. BJP leaders who addressed the gathering during the procession also used the occasion to laud Modi's rule and to blame the Congress. The grand procession looked like a show of strength by the BJP and Hindu organisations.
As the Hubballi-Dharwad Mahanagara Palike (HDMP) had given conditional permission for Rani Channamma Maidan Gajanan Utsav Mahamandali to hold Ganeshotsav at the the Maidan for three days till 12:00 noon on Thursday, the idol was brought outside the Maidan gate at 11:56 am. The procession including folk troupes and DJ music was taken out via Chennamma Circle and Basava Vana, before the idol was immersed at the pond near Indira Glass House after 4:30 pm. No untoward incident took place.
In addition to criticise those who opposed Ganapati idol installation at the Maidan, Yatnal also said "Narendra Modi will be the prime minister against in 2024, and we will install Ganapati idol even at Lahore in Pakistan". He also asked people to call the Maidan as Veera Rani Kittur Chennamma Maidan.
Huge flag plan
MLA Arvind Bellad revealed the plan to display a large-size national flag at the Maidan permanently. "BJP leaders will move a resolution this regard in the coming general body meeting of the HDMP, and let Congress leaders oppose that if they have guts. That flag will be here before Ganesh Chaturthi next year," he added.
Shriram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik termed Anjuman-E-Islam as 'anti-national' for "opposing Ganeshotsav at the Maidan and national flag hoisting here earlier".
"We also have rights and we will go to the court against holding namaz. Don't trouble us in the issues related to religion and country," he added.