Mysore/Mysuru: City’s noted Advocate S. Arunkumar, who also addressed the press meet at RK Ashram yesterday, said that the landed property which was handed over by the Government to RK Ashram for the construction of Viveka Memorial indeed was with the Government for over a century. Pointing out that an Anathalaya for housing poor Hindu boys existed at this site, he argued that the site did not belong to any Mutt or community. 

Noting that many poor boys from all communities stayed in this Orphanage, for which there are Government  documents, Arunkumar said that as per the available records, Niranjana Mutt did not belong to any particular community. Contending that this was a private property, which the Government took over its possession after acquisition, payment of compensation  and allotment of alternative land to the owner, he said that after all this, the land naturally belonged to Government.

However, an individual moved the Court in 1976 claiming that this property belonged to him. But the Court, while dismissing the petition and ruling in favour of the Government, had also imposed a penalty on the individual petitioner. 

Continuing, Arunkumar said that the Government has now handed over the property to RK Ashram for the construction of Viveka Memorial. Noting that the spot sketch (chekbandhi) too has been issued for the said landed property, he argued that as per the records, the NTM School too will be part of Viveka Memorial. Besides, the Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) has officially handed over this landed property to RK Ashram in 2013. After the property was handed over to it, the Ashram has been promptly paying property tax, he said.

Wondering whether the Ashram, which did not want to disturb the academics of students of NTM School, did a mistake by waiting for too long to take physical possession of the landed property, he contended that the Ashram had not usurped the property of anyone. Taking strong exception to the ongoing protests over Dakshinamurthy idol shifting row, he said that there was no logic in the arguments of the protestors that the Mutt belonged to one community because of the existence of Shiva temple and Nandi statue in the premises.

Objecting to the protests, Advocate Arunkumar blamed the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and the City Police Commissioner for not discharging their duties as responsible authorities. Pointing out that all the documents that the Ashram has in its possession regarding the Viveka Memorial site have been handed over to the authorities for scrutiny and verification, he wondered whether top authorities do not have the sense of calling the Ashram representatives and the protestors  for carrying out a scrutiny of documents. 

Asking the Police on why they have not bothered to question the protestors, he said the DC and the Police Commissioner who have the authority should exercise their powers when there is a law and order problem. Urging the Police to act against  the protestors, he said that a Contempt of Court case can be registered against the Police and the authorities concerned if they failed to act.