Court order violated at Aland shrine site, alleges Siddalinga Swami

Shiv Sena State president Siddalinga Swami alleged that a fresh attempt is being made to project the presence of a “mazar” (tomb) at the site where the Raghav Chaitanya Shivalinga is located, on the premises of Ladle Mashak Dargah in Aland town, in violation of court orders.

Addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi city on February 18, the seer claimed that trees and vegetation surrounding the Raghav Chaitanya Shivalinga on the dargah’s premises had been cleared and a platform-like structure had been constructed at the spot recently. He claimed that a chadar (sacred cloth) had been spread over the structure in an effort to portray that a tomb existed there earlier.

He maintained that this amounted to a clear violation of court directions, which prohibit the construction of any temporary or permanent structures at the disputed site by members of either community. “Neither Muslims nor Hindus are permitted to undertake any construction activity there as per the court order,” he reiterated.

The seer alleged that when they approached the police to lodge a complaint regarding the developments, the complaint was not accepted. He accused the authorities of acting under systematic pressure to appease a particular community.

‘Maintain existing IT Park before inviting new firms’

Responding to a recent statement by Priyank Kharge, Minister for Electronics, Information Technology, and Biotechnology, that IT companies were hesitant to invest in coastal Karnataka owing to concerns over communal incidents, the religious leader questioned why IT firms had not been attracted to the Kalyana Karnataka region, particularly Kalaburagi district. “What has stopped IT companies from establishing themselves in Kalyana Karnataka and Kalaburagi district?” he asked.

Displaying photographs of the existing IT Technology Park on the outskirts of Kalaburagi, the seer alleged that the facility is in a shocking state of neglect and decay. He claimed the building appears abandoned, with no visible upkeep or administrative presence. He said that the structure has been left without basic maintenance, toilets are in an unhygienic and unusable condition, lifts have long stopped functioning, and several sections of the premises remain locked and deserted.

He urged Mr. Kharge to focus on maintaining and revitalising the existing IT Park infrastructure before making such statements.