Temple devotee moves HC against Muslim DC's name on car festival invite

Mangaluru, Mar 19: A devotee of Puttur Mahalingeshwara temple on Friday moved the High Court of Karnataka complaining that the action of the district authorities in printing the name of Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim on the invitation card for the temple's annual festival was in violation of the law.

In his petition, Naveen Kulal contended that as per Section 7 of the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act 1997, only officers professing Hindu religion could be given charge of Hindu religious institutions.

Justice A.S. Bopanna, who heard the petition, directed the State government to produce on Monday the notification of appointing the Deputy Commissioner (Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments) under Section 4 of the Act to Dakshina Kannada district.

The court issued this instruction to government counsel as it was complained in the petition that Mr. Ibrahim is also discharging duties as Deputy Commissioner (Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments) in violation of Section 7.

Interestingly, government counsel produced a circular issued in 2014 that says that when a non-Hindu officer is appointed as Deputy Commissioner of a district, then the Additional Deputy Commissioner, who professes Hindu religion, should be made in charge for discharging duties under the Act.

Meanwhile, government counsel told the court that Mr. Ibrahim's name was printed on the invitation as per protocol.