Pune, 6th September 2025: The grand Ganesh Visarjan procession in Pune began on a tense note after excessive police barricading led to confusion and resentment among political leaders, civic officials, and journalists.
Traditionally, the procession starts from Mahatma Phule Mandai with floral tributes at Lokmanya Tilak’s statue, followed by darshan of Kasba Ganpati, the city’s presiding deity. This civic tradition, earlier carried out by the mayor, is now performed by the municipal commissioner since the dissolution of the elected body three years ago.
This year, senior leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol, Higher Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, and Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal were present along with former corporators and political representatives.
However, police set up strict barricades inside Mandai, blocking entry to many of them. Even Pune’s first woman mayor, Kamal Vyavahare, was kept waiting outside the barricades.
The situation escalated as municipal officials, including assistant and deputy commissioners, were stopped despite showing their identity cards. Only after senior officers intervened were some allowed inside.
Journalists faced similar issues, though police had issued official passes, reporters were denied entry. A media enclosure was arranged, but it was placed in the wrong direction, offering only rear views of the Ganesh idols, making proper coverage impossible.
The police action drew sharp criticism from political workers and media representatives, who questioned why an event organized by the municipal corporation was being tightly controlled by police in a way that disrupted civic traditions. Many expressed anger at what they called unnecessary barricading that created safety risks instead of ensuring order.