Hanuman Janmotsav: Sonkatch Administration, organising body at loggerheads over procession route

Sonkatch (Madhya Pradesh): Local administration and Hanuman Janmotsav Committee are at loggerheads over an annual procession route here in Sonkatch tehsil of Dewas district.

Notably, the local administration keeping a tab on the situation prevailing in the state after the Khargone and Sendhwa violence has asked the organisers to change the procession route this year. On the other hand, the organisers claimed how could they change the route after the administration had given them permission just a day before.

Members of the Hanuman Janmotsav Committee including former MLA Rajendra Verma and SDM Abhishek Singh, SDOP PN Goyal, and tehsildar Jitendra Verma were present at the meeting.

The organising committee members informed that the route of the procession is the same for the past many years.

Recently we had a meeting with the administration and local police and they had given us permission for the procession on a pre-decided route, but late in the evening on Thursday, the administration asked us to change the route citing the instructions of the higher officials in the meeting, organisers informed.

The organisers and many locals have condemned the local administrationís decision saying that the sudden change in the procession route shows the working style of the administration. Many locals expressed their outrage on social media.

When contacted SDOP PN Goyal says that on the instructions of higher officials, directions were given to change the route.