Pune: Santosh Chavan, who has been accused of assaulting social activist Vidyanand Bapat during a media interaction on Tilak Road, has defended the confrontation and said that “anyone who speaks against the Ganesh festival is getting slapped across the face like this”.
Chavan’s remarks, made in a video after the incident, have drawn attention as the city continues to debate the use of DJs, sound systems and dhol-tasha troupes during Ganeshotsav. His statement appears to suggest that the alleged assault was linked to Bapat’s opposition to loud sound systems during the festival.
‘Anyone who speaks against Ganesh festival is getting slapped’
In the video, Chavan said he did not have a “personal stance” on the matter. He then said anyone speaking against the Ganesh festival was being slapped. “I don’t have any personal stance. Anyone who speaks against the Ganesh festival is getting slapped across the face like this,” Chavan said.
The remark comes amid allegations that Bapat was assaulted while speaking to journalists about his opposition to high-decibel DJs and loudspeakers during the festival. Bapat had said that a group of young men surrounded him and attacked him while he was being interviewed. He also said the journalist present at the spot had witnessed the incident.
In the video, Chavan also questioned the media for giving Bapat attention. At one point, he asked where Bapat had gone and why the media was giving him publicity. “Why are you giving him fame? You media people have elevated him out of nowhere,” Chavan said.
He questioned why journalists were giving importance to Bapat and used derogatory language against him. Chavan also called Bapat “mentally ill” and alleged that he had “lost his mind”. The comments came in the context of Bapat’s campaign against loud music and DJs during Ganeshotsav.
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‘Pune has a 130-year-old tradition’
Chavan also invoked Pune’s long association with the public Ganesh festival. He said Pune has a 130-year-old tradition and questioned Bapat’s authority to tell people how the festival should be celebrated. “Pune city has a 130-year-old tradition, and who is he to tell us anything?” Chavan said.
He also referred to Bapat’s demand to stop loud sound systems and DJs during the festival. Chavan questioned Bapat’s knowledge of Pune and its Ganeshotsav traditions. His comments reflect the growing disagreement between those demanding restrictions on loud music and those defending traditional public celebrations and the role of Ganesh mandals.
Chavan also accused Bapat and others of focusing on sound pollution while ignoring other civic issues. He referred to potholes on Pune’s roads and said people should instead raise questions about them. “There are potholes on the road… talk about the potholes on the roads here!” he said.
He also criticised people who, according to him, were opposing the festival and its sound systems. The remarks come at a time when the use of DJs and high-volume sound systems during Ganesh processions has become a contentious issue in Pune.
Police investigation to establish what happened
Chavan has been identified as a resident of Rautwadi in Kothrud and is reported to work for a real estate developer. He is also said to be a former president of the Priyadarshini Ganesh Mandal in Rautwadi.
The exact circumstances of the alleged assault and the role of Chavan and others will have to be established through the police investigation and available video footage.
The incident has come as Pune prepares for Ganeshotsav, with the debate over noise levels, DJs, dhol-tasha performances and the traditional character of the festival continuing to intensify.
While mandal representatives have argued that the festival supports employment and community activity, critics have called for stricter controls on noise.
The immediate controversy, however, is centred on whether opposition to aspects of Ganeshotsav can be met with physical violence.
