In Garag village, located in Karnataka’s Dharwad district, authorities have imposed prohibitory orders until Wednesday evening to manage escalating tensions. This decision comes amidst an ongoing dispute concerning the construction of a temple on land owned by the gram panchayat.
D.H. Hugar, the Dharwad Taluk Magistrate and Tahsildar, issued these orders under Section 163 of the BNS. The directive specifically bans the installation of any Durgadevi idol and prohibits all processions within the village from Monday afternoon through Wednesday evening.
At the heart of the conflict is the unauthorized construction of the Durgadevi temple on land that legally belongs to the local gram panchayat. The builders proceeded without obtaining the necessary official permissions.
Sources indicate that the group responsible for the temple’s construction had planned a ‘jatra’ (religious fair) for Monday and Tuesday. To prevent any potential unrest or unfortunate incidents during this period, the prohibitory orders were swiftly put into effect.
Adding another layer to the turmoil, a protest was organized in Dharwad on Monday. Demonstrators gathered outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office to voice their opposition against the recent removal of a B.R. Ambedkar statue in Garag village.
This Ambedkar statue had been erected on September 19, also on the contested gram panchayat land. Its installation, carried out without official permission, occurred after the temple dispute intensified and all mediation attempts by local officials proved unsuccessful.
Following its unauthorized placement, the authorities subsequently removed the statue.