Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Oct 10: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the state high court, questioning the government order sanctioning ten acres of government land in Kapala Betta, Kanakapura taluk, Ramanagara district, for the construction of a church there and for conducting religious activities connected with Christianity.

Eight persons including Anthony Swamy from Harobele village have filed this PIL. They have named chief secretary of Karnataka government, Ramanagara district deputy commissioner, sub-divisional officer, tahsidlar and Kapala Betta Development Trust, Harobele, as defendants. The PIL is yet to come up before the high court bench for hearing.

Kapala Betta (file photo)

The government had sanctioned ten acres of land on February 26, 2018, at survey No. 283 of Kaplala Betta in Nallahalli village, Uyyamballi revenue division for church construction, installation of a status of Jesus and other religious activities.

The petitioners have said that the land was sanctioned to a private trust on the basis of letter issued by former minister D K Shivakumar and MP D K Suresh. They have pointed out that Christians had not requested for land to organize Christian activities at Kapala Betta and that Shivakumar and his brother have got the land sanctioned for serving their vested interests and for taking political advantage in the name of trust. They also argued that this will give rise to disturbance of communal harmony.