Pune, 4th September 2026: The assault on social activist Vidyanand Bapat over his stand against noise pollution has drawn criticism from political parties, activists and social organisations across Pune.
Several groups said Bapat had raised an issue faced by ordinary citizens and maintained that disagreements over noise pollution should be settled through discussion and legal processes rather than violence.
The Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) strongly condemned the alleged assault and threats against Bapat.
“Noise pollution is not an issue related to any particular religion, festival or individual. It concerns public health, the right to live peacefully and compliance with the law. If someone disagrees with Bapat’s position, they can respond through facts, discussion and democratic means. Assault, threats or intimidation are an attack on democratic values,” said MANS state executive committee members Milind Deshmukh, Nandini Jadhav and Shripal Lalwani.
They added, “If arguments cannot counter an issue, using violence is a dangerous trend. Such incidents can discourage citizens from speaking against injustice, superstition, pollution, corruption and other public problems.”
The Pune district committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also condemned the incident and demanded strict action against those responsible.
“Festival celebrations should not become an excuse for intimidation or the creation of fear among citizens. The right of people to live peacefully cannot be compromised. Citizens must stand together against such goonda and mob-like behaviour and protect the peaceful character of festivals,” said CPI(M) leaders Ganesh Darade and Prof. Ajit Abhyankar.
Representatives of Jabab Do Pune also supported Bapat’s stand and demanded action against those who attacked him.
“Celebrating a festival does not mean having the freedom to create unlimited noise or inconvenience others. DJs and roadside pandals cause considerable problems for ordinary citizens. We support Bapat’s demands and want noise regulations to be strictly enforced,” said Medha Thatte, Prof. Sharad Jawadekar, Seema Kakade, Milind Chavan, Dattatray Jadhav and Sachin Desai.
They added, “The police should take legal action against those who attacked Bapat and against those who inconvenience citizens during Dahi Handi and Ganesh festival celebrations.”
BJP leader and House Leader Ganesh Bidkar also condemned the incident and said the party does not support the assault.
“Legal action should be taken against those who assaulted Vidyanand Bapat. The BJP does not support such incidents and stands with Bapat,” Bidkar said.
Social activist Sunita Vani said the assault was an attempt to silence a citizen raising concerns about noise pollution.
“Attacking Bapat for speaking against DJs is an attack on the voice of ordinary citizens. Ganesh mandals should themselves take the initiative to prevent activities that harm society and disturb public peace. Protecting the sanctity of festivals is the responsibility of every citizen,” she said.
The SC/ST wing of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) also condemned the incident. State president Sanjay Alhat and other office-bearers demanded immediate police action.
“In a democracy, ideas must be answered with ideas, not with violence. Such incidents are unacceptable in a culturally significant city like Pune. The police should immediately register a case, arrest those responsible and provide protection to Bapat,” the leaders said.
The Jan Shakti Pathari Vendors Welfare Association also condemned the assault.
The incident has once again brought Pune’s debate over noise pollution during religious festivals into focus. Organisations supporting Bapat have stressed that their objections are directed at excessive noise and violations of regulations, rather than festivals or religious traditions.
They said existing laws should be enforced strictly and disagreements should be addressed through democratic dialogue instead of threats or violence.