Police ask Kalyan Ganesh mandal to desist from using provocative decoration material

The police in Maharashtra’s Thane district have served a notice on a Ganesh pandal, which faced action last year over its decoration related to the split in the Shiv Sena, to desist from using any display material or audio clips that could trigger law and order problems, the organisers said on Wednesday.

According to a functionary of the Shiv Sena (UBT)-controlled Vijay Tarun Mandal at Kalyan, their theme for this year is democracy is at peril. The Mahatma Phule Chowk police sent them a notice on Monday, he said.

In the previous year, the police confiscated the decoration materials of the mandal due to their display highlighting divisions within the Shiv Sena, leading to a legal case against the mandal. This issue was ultimately resolved after the mandal challenged the police's actions in the Bombay High Court. In reference to last year's incident, the notice stated that any efforts to incite or possess decoration materials that could potentially incite conflict between two groups, communities, and religions, leading to law and order issues would prompt the police to take action.

Kalyan chief of Sena (UBT) Vijay Salvi, who heads the mandal, told the media on Wednesday that this is their 60th year of Ganesh festival celebrations and this year’s decoration integrated with audio clips sends out the message democracy is at peril. Salvi said they depict topical events through decorations and other installations at their Ganesh pandal every year. This year, we feel democracy is at peril due to the prevailing situation and the government control. We have tried to convey that through our decorations and the message is based on the V-dem Democracy report, he said.

The Sena (UBT) leader said they had shared the details about their decoration plans with the police two weeks ago. The police have only served a notice this time, he said.