Sai Baba temple at Park site: HC issues notice to State Chief Secretary

HC issued notice to State Chief Secretary regarding construction of Sai Baba temple at a public site The site was allocated for Public Park at Police quarters on Magadi Road. Defendants in the case are Housing Minister M Krishnappa, his son and MLA Priya Krishna and others.

Bengaluru has become a haven for illegal temples at public parks and sports ground. Overnight temple trusts claim parks and public spaces and construct a small temple, eventually expanding and taking over the entire area or most of the ground. In recent times the J P Nagar ground in front of Ranga Shankara was in news for expansion of a small temple into a huge stone structure, involving politicians and corporators. Public protest did not yield much result and the construction is going on smoothly, covering a quarter of the sports ground.

Now the police quarters at Magadi Road also has come under scanner for constructing a Sai Baba temple at a site allocated for park.

The Karnataka High Court has issued a notice to the State Chief Secretary with regard to illegal construction of Sai Baba temple at a site allocated for Public Park at the police quarters in Magadi.

Inquiring into a PIL filed by one S Ravichandra questioning the construction of illegal Sai Baba temple at the site for park at police quarters, the Division Bench headed by Justice H G Ramesh and Justice K S Mudgal served a notice to the Chief Secretary, State Muzrai Department.

The defendants are Housing Minister M Krishnappa, his son and MLA Priya Krishna, legislative council BJP members V Somanna, BBMP Commissioner, City East range Additional commissioner, Sai Baba public Ganapati temple Trust.

Over 500 houses are under construction at the police quarters at Magadi. Over 1000 police families are living here. An adjacent 1 acre land was earmarked for Public Park.  But the Sai Baba Ganapati temple trust is constructing a temple here. This being illegal, the applicant requested that the temple must be taken over by the Muzrai Department and an administrator must be appointed. The Supreme Court has passed that temples, masjids, gurudwaras, churches and other religious buildings should not be constructed at public places.