Kulaba Ganesh mandal row: Sanjay Raut writes to police chief, seeks action

Ganesh Utsav is being celebrated with full fervour across the state, with police and mandal workers cooperating to ensure the festival passes off peacefully. During this, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut visited the Bal Gopal Mitra Mandal in Kulaba for darshan.

There, mandal office-bearers and workers raised their grievance with Raut. They said that despite the mandal holding a valid permit for the Ganesh festival, South Zone traffic police officer Hemraj Rajput arrived at the spot himself and abused and threatened the workers and office-bearers. They further alleged that women present at the venue were also misbehaved with, and an attempt was made to snatch their mobile phones.

Taking serious note of the matter, Sanjay Raut has written to Police Commissioner Deven Bharti. In the letter, he said he suspects political backing behind the incident. According to the mandal's office-bearers and workers, officer Hemraj Rajput also got the entire incident video-recorded. The mandal's president, Prasanna Pandey, is a social worker.

In his letter, Raut alleged that the mandal had not supported Makarand Narvekar during the civic body elections, and that this was the reason the zone's traffic police officer Hemraj Rajput indulged in this disgraceful and unlawful conduct. Raut also questioned why, when there are other Ganesh mandals in the Kulaba area that faced no trouble at all, only the Bal Gopal Mitra Mandal on Pasta Lane in Kulaba was singled out.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has lodged a written complaint with Police Commissioner Deven Bharti demanding a full investigation into the incident. He said the mandal's office-bearers and workers are living in an atmosphere of fear since the incident, and that they are worried it could disrupt the Ganesh festival. He has appealed to the commissioner to look into the matter immediately.