The rituals of Urus and Maha Sivaratri were performed one after other, by Muslims and Hindus, respectively, at Ladle Mashak Dargah in Aland on Saturday amid tight security. This was following the orders of the Karnataka Waqf Tribunal and then that of Kalaburagi Bench of the Karnataka High Court.
Members from the Muslim community performed Urus rituals before 12 noon and representatives of the Hindu community, led by Siddalinga Swamy, offered puja to Raghav Chaitnya Shivalinga in the afternoon on the Dargah premises.
Shops and business establishments remained closed for the day. Some shopkeepers said that they closed their business outlets on the directions of the police. However, Superintendent of Police Isha Pant, who camped in the town for the last few days to ensure peace, said the police did not force shopkeepers to close their shops.
Public transport was paralysed and private vehicles were barred from moving in the town. Barricades were put up everywhere and all the vehicles were stopped on the outskirts of the town. On Thursday, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Alok Kumar, along with other senor police officers, had led route march in the town to boost the morale of the public.
However, a huge crowd of BJP and Sri Ram Sena activists gathered in a public meeting that was said to be outside the Aland Town Municipal Council limits where Section 144 was imposed. Responding to media query, Ms. Pant made it clear that permission was granted for the event.
Addressing a charged gathering, Siddalinga Swamy, head of Karuneshwar Mutt at Andola in Jewargi taluk and State president of Sri Ram Sene, declared that a temple for Saint Raghava Chaitnya would be built on the premises of the Dargah.
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