Puja at disputed Kolar site averted

kolar: the district administration heaved a sigh of relief on monday after persuading the hindu leaders to give up the plan to have puja at the disputed site near ganeshkindi village where the district wakf board has set up a idgah. the ramzan festival was celebrated peacefully in kolar. tension prevailed earlier over the decision of the district wakf board to set up an idgah at survey no.71 of sangondahalli village. this decision of the wakf board led to protest by some of the organisations including bjp, rss and hindu jagaran manch who claimed that the land belonged to a ganeshkindi temple and alleged that two kalyanis of ganeshkindi had been closed down by the wakf board. the protestors sought the intervention of the district administration to stop the muslims from offering prayers at the site during ramzan. the district administration held a series of meetings with the religious leaders and district in-charge minister v. muniyappa along with roshan baig visited kolar on saturday. despite repeated pleas the deadlock continued till late sunday night but following discussions involving k. srinivasa gowda, mla kolar the hindu leaders reportedly agreed to give up their plan to offer puja on the condition that the district administration would take steps to reopen the two kalyanis and to take steps to survey the entire disputed site. both k. keshavachari, deputy commissioner and pranab mohanthy, superintendent of police, kolar reportedly agreed to these conditions. k.v. suresh kumar, bjp leader reportedly told the district administration at one of the meetings that the pro-hindu organisations would launch an agitation if their demands were not met within a reasonable time. over 2,500 muslims offered prayers on monday. kolar is under strict vigilance with forces from ksrp, dar and home guards.