Plea to reinstall Parashurama statue in Karkala theme park: HC orders petitioner to deposit Rs 5L
Bengaluru: Hearing a plea filed in relation to the Parashurama theme park in Karkala taluk of Udupi district, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the petitioner seeking the reconstruction of the statue of Parashurama to deposit Rs 5 lakh with the HC registry within two weeks.
The 33-foot tall statue installed at the park in Karkala in 2023 had to be brought down within a few months following a case of fraud. The petitioner Uday Shetty Muniyal had filed the petition asking the court to direct the state government to reconstruct the statue by issuing fresh tenders and engaging a reputed sculptor.
With the division bench, consisting of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Joshi, orally instructing Muniyal to deposit Rs 5 lakh with the High Court, the petitioner’s advocate agreed to deposit the money. Further, the HC instructed the petitioner to deposit the amount from his personal account.
The petition has claimed to be an active member of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee and having contested the Assembly elections of 2023. He stated that the petition aimed to protect the religious sentiments and cultural heritage of Hindus in Coastal Karnataka region who revere Lord Parashurama as the creator of the Parashurama Kshetra (Tulu Nadu & Karavali regions).
The Parashurama Theme Park at Karkala was reportedly conceptualized and inaugurated with a 33-feet bronze statue of Lord Parashurama in January 2023, funded by the respondent-government departments, which is public money. However, in a serious fraud, the statue was constructed using brass instead of bronze, endangering public safety and violating public trust. The upper portion of the statue was dismantled in October 2023 and stored elsewhere, leaving the theme park incomplete and devotees deeply hurt, Muniyal said.
The plea claims that, while a CID investigation was ordered by the State, and a complaint was filed against sculptor Krishna Naik, accusing him of constructing the statue using brass instead of bronze, there was also a clear case of violation of Articles 25 and 26 Freedom of Religion and Protection of Religious Institutions and that the respondents have blatantly ignored the importance of freedom of religion and the emphasis on its practice.
The installation, maintenance and worship of the Parashurama statue in Karkala is an essential religious practice for devotees of Parashurama as a neglect or improper reconstruction of the statue constitutes a direct infringement of their right to freely practice religion, the plea states.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
SC stays HC order restraining Tamil Nadu Waqf Board from exercising functions
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a Madras High Court order which restrained the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board from exercising any functions while observing that its constitution was prima facie not in accordance with the provisions of law.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government and others seeking their responses on the petition filed by the waqf board challenging the high court's January 8 order.
The high court had passed the order on a plea which challenged the constitution of the waqf board on the grounds, including that one out of the two persons as mandated in clause (d) of Section 14 of the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995, has not been nominated.
The plea before the high court also claimed non-compliance of the mandate that two of the total members of the Bar appointed under sub-section (1) of Section 14, excluding ex-officio members, shall be non-Muslim.
Section 14 of the Act deals with composition of board.
Before the high court, the counsel appearing for the state contended that constitution of the board is almost complete as majority of members have already been nominated or appointed and as far as other members are concerned, steps are being taken to complete the same.
In its order, the high court noted the mandate of second proviso that two of the total members of the board appointed under sub-section (1), excluding ex-offico member, shall be non-Muslim has also been not fulfilled.
"The constitution of the board as exists today, prima facie is not in accordance with the provisions of law," the high court said.
"In view of the above, the board cannot be allowed to exercise any powers and functions under the act. The board is hereby restrained from exercising any powers and functions," it said.
