Devotees bid adieu to Idgah Maidan Ganapati idol

Hubballi: Amid heavy police bandobast, a large number of people took part in the seven-hour-long peaceful procession organised to bid adieu to the Ganapati idol installed at a portion of Idgah Maidan in the city on Wednesday.The procession commenced at noon with traditional music, dance and jhankis, and continued till it reached the Hosur pond at around 7:00 pmRani Channamma Gajananotsav Mahamandali installed the Ganapati idol for the consecutive fifth year at the Idgah Maidan located near Chennamma Circle on September 14. On Wednesday, as the three-day permission given by the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC), which owns the Idgah Maidan land, came to an end, the idol immersion procession began at 12 noon.To prevent any untoward incident, the Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissionerate deployed adequate security personnel in and around the Idgah Maidan and other parts of the city. Police Commissioner Bhushan Borase, DCP Raveesh C R, Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel, City Armed Reserve personnel and others were present at the spot.At the valedictory function, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) National General Secretary Gopal stressed the need to work unitedly to celebrate the Ganapati festival. “The mandali is not owned by a single person; it is of the Hindu community and people of Hubballi-Dharwad,” he said and requested the office-bearers of the mandali to take all members into confidence and work unitedly.He stated that Lord Ganapati is widely accepted by all castes and communities. People from all communities and walks of life join in the celebration of this festival. Such a transformation is required for the country, he said.Speaking about the state Congress government’s restriction on singing the full song of the Vande Mataram, the VHP leader said that during the Bengal partition and the freedom struggle, the Vande Mataram song was sung by all sections of society, irrespective of caste and religion, and it united the country. Now, Home Minister Priyank Kharge has been hating the Vande Mataram song. “The government can impose restrictions on the Vande Mataram song only at government institutes, not in the private institutes,” he said.Police begin early preparations for smooth Ganesh idol immersion in Karnataka’s Belagavi“There are many good leaders and seniors in the Muslim community, and they should ask their youths to stay away from ‘Love Jihad’ activities. If they continue to be involved in such activities, our Hindu youths will also start ‘reverse Love Jihad,” he warned.Referring to the revenue generated at the temples, Gopal said the government has been taking away the revenue generated by the temples in the state. He demanded the state government give all temples back to the Hindu community to manage. After the stage function, the procession was taken out from the Sangolli Rayanna Circle to the Glass House through City and Suburban Bus Terminal (Old Bus Stand), where hundreds of people took part in the procession.MLAs C C Patil and Mahesh Tenginkai, Hubballi-Dharwad Mayor Durgamma Bijwad, leaders Mahadev Karamari, VSV Prasad, Goutam Bafna, Sanjeev Badaskar, Ashok Anvekar and others were present.Traffic divertedTo facilitate the procession traffic was diverted in the heart of the city from morning to evening on Wednesday. People struggled to reach market areas railway stations and the old bus stand during the procession.

Source: Deccan Herald