Celebrate Ganpati festival in traditional manner, CM Fadnavis appeals to Punekars

Fadnavis made the appeal while addressing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers at the party’s state executive committee meeting in Pune

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday appealed to Punekars to celebrate the 10-day Ganpati festival in a ‘traditional’ manner, saying that the city has the ability to show the rest of the state how the festival should be celebrated.

While the CM did not explicitly call for a ban on DJs, his appeal to Punekars to stay away from controversy and celebrate the festival in a traditional manner is likely to be closely watched by Ganesh mandals. (HT)

Fadnavis made the appeal while addressing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers at the party’s state executive committee meeting in Pune. The chief minister’s (CM’s) remarks assume significance, coming as they do in the midst of a growing campaign in the city against the use of DJs and high-decibel sound systems during Ganeshotsav with citizens demanding curbs on noise pollution and in some cases, a complete ban on DJs.

“I know the media will question me after the programme about my views on whether DJs should be used during the festival. My appeal to Punekars is not to get into any controversy over this issue. Punekars should celebrate the festival in a traditional and cultured manner, which would be an eye-opener for everyone in other districts of the state,” Fadnavis said.

The campaign gathered momentum after Narayan Peth resident Vidyanand Bapat raised the issue at a Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) meeting convened to discuss preparations by Ganesh mandals. Although Bapat’s demand initially faced opposition from several political leaders, citizens subsequently rallied behind the issue, with protests and an online campaign seeking restrictions on high-decibel sound during the festival.

So much so that the issue has become a major point of debate in Pune in the run-up to Ganeshotsav which begins on September 14. Citizens have held protests demanding a ban on DJs and excessive sound systems, arguing that high-decibel music causes considerable inconvenience and noise pollution.

The debate has also moved beyond citizens’ groups. The Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati mandal, one of the city’s prominent Ganesh mandals, has backed a DJ-free Ganeshotsav and called for a ban on loud music and high-decibel speakers.

Pune mayor Manjusha Nagpure too has welcomed Fadnavis’s appeal. “The chief minister’s appeal is appropriate and welcome. I too feel that it is for Punekars to decide whether to use DJs during the festival or not,” she said.

However, some Ganesh mandals as well as BJP leaders including city BJP chief Dheeraj Ghate – who publicly took a stand in favour of loudspeakers and tried to ridicule those in favour of the ban like Bapat – have criticised the campaign, alleging that it amounts to selectively targeting Ganeshotsav. The said mandals have said that they are willing to reduce noise levels instead.