Pune activist opposing DJs, loudspeakers assaulted ahead of Ganesh festival
Pune activist Vidyanand Bapat, who has opposed high-decibel DJ systems and loudspeakers during festivals, was assaulted while speaking to media on Thursday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the attack and said police had arrested the alleged attacker, Santosh Chavan.
Pune/Mumbai: Vidyanand Bapat, a Pune-based activist who has been vocally opposing the use of high-decibel DJ systems and loudspeakers during festivals ahead of the coming Ganeshotsav, was assaulted by a man here on Thursday morning.
As the incident caused outrage, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the attacker had been arrested, and it was wrong to assault any person for voicing their views.
Bapat was slapped by a man when he was speaking to electronic media on Tilak Road around 11 am. The assault was captured on camera.
Police reached the spot after the attack, and escorted the activist away in a police van.
The alleged attacker was identified as Santosh Chavan.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, CM Fadnavis, who heads the Home Department, said police had arrested the attacker.
Attacking anyone for putting forth their views was not right, Fadnavis said.
Ganesh festival should be celebrated in a traditional way, Fadnavis said, adding it may not happen “100 per cent” but efforts must be made in that direction.
“This type of use of force against anyone is inappropriate. Everyone has a right to express their opinion. It is inappropriate to attack someone while expressing their opinion. Police have arrested the assailant,” Fadnavis told reporters.
He said he personally felt it was inappropriate for such a controversy in places like Pune.
Vidyanand Bapat shot into the limelight last month when he opposed DJ systems and loudspeakers at a meeting organised by the Pune Municipal Corporation ahead of the 10-day Ganesh festival which starts from September 14.
As he sought a complete ban on amplified DJ music and high-volume speakers during the meeting, representatives of Ganesh mandals became aggressive, leading to police escorting him out of the building amid heckling.
The video of the incident, and Bapat’s subsequent videos where he articulated his views in chaste Marathi while explaining the logical fallacies in the arguments of the opposite side, became a social media sensation and generated numerous memes.
His stand against noise pollution during festivals on the ground of public health has found growing support across Maharashtra which appears to be turning into a civic movement.
Commenting on the incident, state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said violence and “mob rule” had no place in Maharashtra.
Sapkal, in a post on Facebook, questioned the religious identity of Bapat while condemning the alleged attack. “What is Vidyanand Bapat’s religion?” Sapkal said in the post.
Sapkal said Bapat had raised his voice through democratic means against the deafening sound of DJs and alleged the attack was a blot on Maharashtra’s culture and law and order.
“There can be differences of opinion, but the answer to it is not violence,” he said.
If mob rule is being used to take away the right to express one’s opinion, the question arises if this is Maharashtra or Taliban, Sapkal added while seeking immediate registration of cases against those who attacked Bapat.
“There should be no place for terror and mob rule in a state governed by law. In Maharashtra, the Constitution and law will prevail, not mob rule,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said Ganesh festival was part of Maharashtra’s tradition and culture and there should be no blot on its celebration.
“We should try to conserve our festival and its traditions. The government’s stand is that nobody should take any step that will cause inconvenience to citizens,” Shinde told reporters.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the issues raised by Bapat were not related to any particular religion.
“The discussion on DJs is going on, ranging from a complete ban to using them with moderation. There are some people who are actively opposing the use of DJs,” Thackeray said.
NCP (SP) state president Shashikant Shinde questioned whether democracy still existed in Maharashtra, citing police action on a person who objected to a number plate on the vehicle of a public representative.
The leader of the House in the Pune Municipal Corporation, Ganesh Bidkar, said CM Fadnavis had taken serious cognisance of the incident involving Bapat.
Bidkar, a BJP leader, said his party and Pune police will ensure Bapat’s safety.
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said statements were being recorded, adding that strict action will be taken against those responsible for the incident.
