Pune, Sep 3 (PTI) Vidyanand Bapat, a city-based activist who has been vocally opposing the use of high-decibel DJ systems and loudspeakers during festivals ahead of the coming Ganeshotsav, was assaulted by a man here on Thursday morning.
As the incident caused outrage, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the attacker had been arrested, and it was wrong to assault any person for voicing their views.
Bapat was slapped by a man when he was speaking to electronic media on Tilak Road around 11 am. The assault was captured on camera.
Police reached the spot after the attack, and escorted the activist away in a police van.
The alleged attacker was identified as Santosh Chavan.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Chief Minister Fadnavis, who heads the Home Department, said attacking anyone for putting forth their views was not right. The police had arrested the attacker, he said.
The Ganesh festival should be celebrated in a traditional way, Fadnavis said, adding that it may not happen “100 per cent” but efforts must be made in that direction.
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said, “We are recording statements. Strict action will be taken against those responsible for the incident.” Vidyanand Bapat shot into the limelight last month when he opposed DJ systems and loudspeakers at a meeting organised by the Pune Municipal Corporation ahead of the 10-day Ganesh festival which starts from September 14.
As he sought a complete ban on amplified DJ music and high-volume speakers during the meeting, representatives of Ganesh mandals became aggressive, leading to police escorting him out of the building amid heckling.
The video of the incident, and Bapat’s subsequent videos where he articulated his views in chaste Marathi while explaining the logical fallacies in the arguments of the opposite side, became a social media sensation and generated numerous memes.
His stand against noise pollution during festivals on the ground of public health has found growing support across Maharashtra which appears to be turning into a civic movement. PTI SPK COR PR NP KRK
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