Day After Attack, Vidyanand Bapat Reaffirms Stand On Noise Pollution: 'Assault Hasn't Weakened My Resolve'

Pune: A day after being assaulted for opposing high-decibel DJs and loudspeakers during public festivals, activist Vidyanand Bapat on Friday addressed the press and made it clear that the attack had not changed his stand. Reiterating that his campaign was about noise pollution, traffic obstruction and citizens’ rights, Bapat said, “Being assaulted does not weaken my resolve.”

'Do not want publicity at all'

Bapat said he did not want the incident to become a vehicle for personal publicity and urged the media and citizens to focus on the issues he had been raising. “I do not want publicity at all. Just take my issues forward,” he said. He also questioned those attempting to divert the debate towards his personality rather than addressing the concerns raised by him.

The activist maintained that his objection was not to festivals or religious celebrations themselves, but to the manner in which public celebrations can affect other citizens. “If festivals are to be made public events, they should not be held if they cause noise pollution or obstruct traffic,” Bapat said, stressing that public celebrations should not come at the cost of residents’ right to a peaceful environment.

Questioning the response to his campaign, Bapat said, “The issue that I’m raising could not be answered through confrontation. What I am raising is an issue that cannot be countered.” He added that such practices were effectively being imposed on citizens.

“The issue is not Bapat and Punekars,” he said, arguing that the larger question was how public festivals should be conducted while respecting citizens and existing restrictions.

'They are behaving like monkeys'

Bapat also took aim at those he alleged were seeking publicity through the controversy. “They are doing this only for cheap publicity. They are behaving like monkeys,” he said. Referring to the criticism and opposition he has faced, he added, “I do not take you seriously.” He insisted that the focus should remain on the substance of his campaign rather than the confrontation surrounding him.

Invoking Pune’s identity as Maharashtra’s cultural capital, Bapat questioned whether aggressive opposition to dissent represented the city’s cultural values. “You call Pune the cultural capital; then is this your culture?” he asked.

The activist also indicated that he was considering giving his campaign a more organised structure. “I am thinking that perhaps an organisation should be formed,” he said, adding that he would soon decide on the next course of action. On the possibility of a protest march, Bapat said, “If I am alive, I will definitely participate in the march.”

'I am not religious'

Bapat described himself as a person with left-wing ideology and said, “I am not religious.” He accused those opposing him of wanting to create disorder in public spaces, saying, “They only want to create chaos,” and described such people as a “menace to society.”

The controversy erupted after Bapat was attacked on Thursday while speaking to a media channel on Tilak Road. A video of the incident circulated widely, prompting political and public criticism. Santosh Chavan, identified as the accused, subsequently defended the confrontation in a video and said that “those speaking against Ganeshotsav would be slapped.”