A conspiracy is being plotted against Hindu festivals like Ganeshotsav, Dahi Handi and Nagpanchami, a deliberate agenda driven by urban naxalites. Let’s defeat this narrative and celebrate Ganeshotsav with grandeur as a state festival, said Maharashtra cultural affairs minister Ashish Shelar on Sunday.
Shelar made the statement during his felicitation on Sunday at Tambadshet by sculptors’ associations from Hamrapur, Johe and Kalve, villages in Pen that is renowned as the heartland of Ganesh idol-making. “The ban on PoP idols was part of a well-orchestrated conspiracy in which the then Congress government and now the Maha Vikas Aghadi were complicit. Hon’ble Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ji and I stood firmly with the idol makers and fought this battle together and we won. This victory was crucial in safeguarding the sanctity of our traditional festivals.”
He further said, “For the past several years, there has been a deliberate attempt to stop Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav celebrations, a festival that stands as a powerful symbol of Hindutva. This conspiracy, driven by urban naxal elements, has the backing of the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena. It all began in 2003, when a petition was filed in court seeking a ban on Hindu last rites and other traditional rituals performed at natural water bodies. While responding to this petition, the then coalition government unnecessarily dragged the issue of POP Ganesh idols into it. Had the government opposed the petition back then, we wouldn’t have had to fight such a long and intense battle.”
Shelar shared details on how the BJP fought the case at various levels, including in the courts, to protect the rights of idol makers and devotees.
Among the party leaders present at the function were Raigad district president and Rajya Sabha MP Dhairyashil Patil; MLAs Ravi Patil, Mahesh Baldi, and Prashant Thakur; district vice president Vaikunth Patil; Maharashtra Ganesh Sculptors’ Association’s president Abhay Mhatre, Jayesh Patil, Maharashtra Ganesh Sculptors’ Association section president; naib tehsildar, Dadu Karekar; former Zilla Parishad member Neelima Patil; former mayor Pritam Patil, along with a large gathering of sculptors were present on this occasion.
On this occasion, he also formally declared Ganeshotsav as the State Festival of Maharashtra from this year onwards, and announced a comprehensive outline to ensure it is celebrated with even greater enthusiasm across the state.
