Govt to challenge High Court’s upholding of Chamundeshwari Act, says Siddaramaiah | Latest News India

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the government will take legal steps to set aside the Karnataka High Court’s interim stay on the implementation of the Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority Act, 2024.

The law, which seeks to establish an independent authority to oversee the development and maintenance of the Shree Chamundeshwari Kshethra, has been challenged by the Mysuru royal family, who say it infringes on their rights over what they consider private property.

The interim order was granted by Justice SR Krishnakumar on Monday during a hearing on a petition filed by Pramoda Devi Wodeyar, widow of late Srikanth Dutta Wodeyar. The petition argued that the law is ultra vires the legislative authority of the state government and violates multiple constitutional rights. The state government, the Mysuru district collector and the chairman of the palace’s Mujarai institution have been named as respondents in the matter.

Siddaramaiah, responding to queries from residents of Koppal district, said, “We will try to legally overturn the Supreme Court’s stay.” He stressed that the government’s intention behind the law was to ensure effective administration and development of the temple, which attracts a large number of devotees.

Home Minister G. Parameshwara also defended the law, saying authorities like the one proposed for the Chamundi Hills temple are needed to manage the large sums of money collected and ensure adequate facilities for devotees. “If there is an authority in place, it will be better,” he said, noting that the royal family’s objections will be considered by the court.

The Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority Act, 2024 was passed by the Assembly in February 2024, shortly after royal Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wodeyar was mentioned as a possible Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha constituency. The Act proposes an authority comprising ten senior bureaucrats and five nominated members, with the CM as the ex-officio chairman.

The law has sparked controversy, especially within the BJP, with Mandya district spokesperson CT Manjunath accusing the government of having an “anti-Hindu” agenda. “Why were similar authorities not set up for mosques or churches? Had the government already transferred land belonging to the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple Trust in Melukote to its name and sold it to individuals?” he said.

Wodeyar’s legal challenge stems from a historic agreement dated January 23, 1950, between the erstwhile Maharajas of Mysore and the Indian government. The agreement, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court, recognized the Chamundeshwari Temple and other temples on Chamundi Hill as private properties of the royal family. The family argued that the 2024 Act violated this agreement, as well as a memorandum dated October 28, 1972, which reaffirmed the terms of the 1950 agreement after the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India.

State Mujarai Department Commissioner H Basavarajendra confirmed that the SCKDA Act, 2024 has come into force from July 1, as per the state government’s decision. “We will wait for the final decisions of the court.”

(With PTI inputs)