Tensions flared in Hubballi’s Neekar Nagar–Shivanagar area on Jan 1, Thursday, after allegations surfaced that a structure sanctioned by the municipal corporation as a residential house was allegedly converted into a mosque without legal approval. As per TV9 Kannada reports, the incident, reported from a predominantly Hindu residential locality, led to a large-scale protest by local residents and Hindu organizations, who demanded immediate demolition of the illegal mosque structure.
According to residents, the Hubballi–Dharwad Municipal Corporation had granted permission for the construction of a private house. While there was no objection to members of any community residing in the area, locals allege that the owners later altered the use of the building and began conducting regular congregational prayers. Residents claim that between 50 and 100 people reportedly gathered daily for namaz, fundamentally changing the nature of the neighborhood and violating zoning and building-use regulations.
The locality, comprising Neekar Nagar, Shivanagar, and adjoining Chabbi Plot areas, is said to be over 95% Hindu. Protesters stressed that their opposition was not to individuals of another faith living among them, but to the alleged misuse of civic permissions and the conversion of a residential structure into a place of worship without statutory clearances, especially when multiple mosques already exist within a short radius.
Local residents stated that repeated objections over the past several months were ignored, forcing them to approach the police. The issue reportedly reached the Old Hubballi Police Station, where both parties were summoned and warned to maintain peace. However, as Islamic religious activities allegedly continued, Hindu organizations called for a public protest, which culminated on Thursday at Basaveshwara Circle, drawing hundreds of participants.
Security was tightened in and around the area, with over 100 police personnel deployed and barricades erected to prevent escalation. Addressing the gathering, Pramod Muthalik, founder-president of Sri Rama Sene, accused authorities of selective enforcement. He alleged that while Hindu religious structures often face swift legal action, the administration had failed to act decisively in this case despite clear violations. He warned that if the structure was not removed within a week, protests would intensify.
Municipal officials, including the mayor, visited the site and conducted an inspection. Sources said civic authorities have issued a notice and set a deadline for compliance, stating that any construction or change of land use inconsistent with the original permit would invite action under municipal laws.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Congress government in Karnataka stands accused of presiding over a disturbing pattern of governance failures. From the Kogilu demolition controversy and allegations of illegal house allotments to illegal immigrants to the Hubballi case, where a residential permit was allegedly misused to establish an illegal mosque, such incidents are no longer isolated. Similar cases are surfacing across the state, raising serious questions about selective enforcement, administrative complicity, and vote-bank–driven politics. Who will answer for these repeated violations of law?
Does Islamic appeasement remain the only fuel for the Congress party’s political kitchen? If so, where do Hindus stand in this so-called secular framework? Time and again, it is the Hindu community that finds itself sidelined, questioned, and targeted by the very state that claims to uphold equality. Why is action disproportionately taken against Hindu institutions, temples, and religious expressions, while clear violations by others are met with silence, delay, or justification? If secularism truly means equal treatment under the law, why does it appear selectively enforced? The Congress leadership and its self-proclaimed secularists must answer why Hindus are repeatedly made scapegoats and why the same legal and administrative standards are not applied uniformly to all communities.
