Pune: Several Ganesh mandals staged a protest on Wednesday (September 17) morning after police prohibited them from using sound systems during the immersion procession on Tilak Road.
The mandals had followed the sound system regulations, keeping their systems off between midnight and 6 a.m. However, while other mandals on different roads were allowed to resume their sound systems at 6 a.m., those on Tilak Road faced police restrictions, leading to a tense standoff.
In adherence to the Supreme Court’s noise pollution guidelines, the police had directed the Ganesh mandals to shut off their sound systems by midnight on Tuesday (September 17).
The mandals complied, and on Wednesday morning, sound systems were restarted on roads like Laxmi Road and Kumthekar Road. However, the police intervened to stop the mandals on Tilak Road from resuming their sound systems, despite repeated requests from the mandals' workers and officials. This led to frustration and anger among the mandal members.
In response, workers and officials from several mandals gathered in front of the Pune Police Vighnaharta Trust’s pandal near S.P. College and staged a sit-in protest. Veer Savarkar Mitra Mandal (Rajendra Nagar), Ganpati Nagar Mitra Mandal (Ganesh Mala), and Shrimant Jay Bhavani Mandal (Rashtra Bhushan Sports Association) were among the key participants in the protest.
Efforts were made to diffuse the situation by Pune Police Vighnaharta Trust coordinators Praveen Chorbole and Salem Khan. They reached out to senior police officials, and after discussions with Additional Police Commissioner Praveen Patil, the situation was resolved.
Patil spoke directly with the Ganesh mandal members, addressing their concerns and ensuring that the immersion procession could continue smoothly. Following the resolution, the mandals were allowed to resume their sound systems, and the procession continued with the playing of Ganpati Aarti.
Dr. Milind Bhoi, a trustee of the Pune Vighnaharta Trust, confirmed that the situation was peacefully resolved, and the celebration proceeded without further incidents.