Pune Ganesh Mandals Boycott Meeting Over Separate Police Meeting With 5 Mandals, Seek Equal Involvement

Several Ganesh mandals in Pune on Wednesday skipped a planned meeting with the city's police. This gathering was arranged to discuss preparations for the upcoming Ganpati festivals. Representatives from these mandals expressed their unhappiness, mentioning that the police had specially organized a separate meeting solely for the five renowned 'manache ganpati', which made them feel left out and not valued.

The 'manache ganpati' idols are of exceptional importance in Pune, being both respected and historically significant. Kasba, Tambdi Jogeshwari, Guruji Talim, Tulshibag and Kesriwada are traditionally considered the five `Manache Ganapati' of the city. However, the representatives from other Ganesh mandals questioned why they weren't treated equally and given similar involvement by the police.

City Police clarified

Responding to the situation, the city's police clarified that the timing of the meeting faced some delays, causing a few mandals to leave early. The Joint Commissioner of Police, Sandip Karnik, took personal responsibility and personally apologized to the Ganesh mandal representatives. The police ensured them that a new meeting would be arranged for the following day at 6 pm, providing an opportunity for all concerned parties to participate and share their concerns.

Joint CP Sandip Karnik stated, "There was a delay in today's meeting timing; some Mandals had to leave early. With the remaining mandals, we conducted the meeting and had lunch together. As the Joint CP of Pune, I take full responsibility, and I have personally apologized to them for the delay. They have accepted the apology, and we have rescheduled the meeting to 6 pm today at Durvankur hall."