• MCC Commissioner blamed for public notification in fresh row

• BJP leaders visit disputed site at Gaadi Chowka in Agrahara

Mysore/Mysuru: Krishnaraja MLA T.S. Srivatsa has accused Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner of hastily issuing a public notification inviting objections, if any, to facilitate the construction of a dargah at Gaadi Chowka on Madhwachar Road near the 101 Ganapathy Temple in Agrahara.

Srivatsa was speaking to media persons after visiting the disputed site yesterday, along with former MLA and City BJP President L. Nagendra, former Mayor Shivakumar, former Chairman of Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) Shivakumar, former Corporators Sowmya Umesh and M.U. Subbaiah, BJP Krishnaraja Assembly Constituency President Gopalraj Urs, City BJP Yuva Morcha President Rakesh Gowda, BJP leader Giridhar and MCC officials.

Public notification

Srivatsa said, even though the site has remained vacant for the last 60 years, the MCC Commissioner has issued a public notification inviting objections, after issuing a khata for building a dargah.

The notification has been   published in a local newspaper, in such a meticulous way to avoid wider attention, amid preparations for the Dasara festival.

“As is the criterion, a board inviting objections from the public should have been put up at the site, but no such board has been installed. It is also mandatory to seek the permission of local MLA and elected representatives, but the norm has been blatantly flouted,” alleged Srivatsa.

Gazette says…

Quoting records related to the site, Srivatsa said, about 1.5 acres of land (4,500 feet) has been mentioned as Waqf property in the Gazette published in 1965, but there are no details about the land donor, barring the name Mohammed Ghouse, Mohammedvadi Road, K.R. Mohalla.

There is neither any mention of Mohammedvadi Road or Madhwachar Road in the Gazette, said Srivatsa, citing flaws in the Gazette record too.

Now, after 60 years, an application requesting khata for the said site was received, and the works on building a dargah, without obtaining permission from MCC, began on March 15.

The illegality was brought to the notice of the MCC Commissioner in a letter, besides alerting the Police. Following this, the process to issue a khata was hastened, he noted.

Fixation of revenue

Pointing out further illegalities, Srivatsa said, though the site area is spread over 4,500 feet, the revenue has been fixed for 700 feet. In 2002, an individual had moved a Court here claiming the ownership of the site, but the Court called it a Waqf asset in its ruling.

“Though the litigants filed an appeal at the High Court (HC), the HC upheld the local Court order. Now, the litigants have filed a title suit and there is no information as such whether the case is before the Two-Judge Bench of the HC or has been referred to the Supreme Court,” he pointed out.

 Amidst this, the Secretary of the institution constructing the dargah has filed a case against MCC officials in a City Court, which is scheduled to come up for hearing on Sept. 20, MLA Srivatsa said and added that the manner in which the MCC Commissioner has issued the notification has raised suspicions among the people.

‘Notification must be withdrawn’

Unlike his predecessors, the MCC Commissioner has initiated such work that may pose a threat to the religious harmony enjoyed by two different faiths in this part of the locality. In Maddur of Mandya district, communal unrest triggered over a similar issue. With several lapses noticed in this dispute too. The  MCC Commissioner should withdraw the notification at the earliest. Or else, an aggressive protest will be staged across the Krishnaraja Constituency.

— T.S. Srivatsa, Krishnaraja MLA