Muslim community may keep off Urus at Baba Budangiri Datta Peetha

CHIKKAMAGALUR: With the three-day Urus scheduled to begin from Wednesday at the Sri Guru Dattatreya Baba Budangiri Swami dargah, the Muslim community has vented ire at the shrine management committee and the district administration and are likely to stay away from the rituals.

The community has rejected the conduct of the rituals by the shrine management committee and the district administration and have presented a set of four demands to the state government. These include striking down the appointment of priests and naming of the management committee, reconstituting the committee with four members each from the Hindu and Muslim communities, allowing placing of green chadar on the tomb and opening up of the masjid at Datta Peetha for Muslims to offer prayers.

The Muslim community wants the shrine management committee reconstituted.

After the management committee was constituted, Hindu priests were named for the shrine and rituals were conducted during the Datta Jayanti celebrations. Likewise, the Muslim community should also be allowed to conduct the Urus with all religious rituals, they have demanded, and vowed to stay away from the rituals.

With the possibility of protests, police have enhanced security at the disputed site.