Sri Ram Sene demands relaxation of rules for Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations

Sri Ram Sene has demanded that the State government relax some rules that govern celebrations of public festivals like Ganesha Chaturthi.

Sri Ram Sene founder Pramod Mutalik told reporters in Dharwad on Sunday that the State government and the district administrations are enforcing several restrictive rules in the name of court orders.

They include not allowing disco jockey sound systems, installation of plaster of Paris idols, time limits for celebrations and conditional approval for immersion processions. He demanded that all such rules be relaxed for Ganesha Chaturthi and other Hindu festivals.

“We strongly suspect that the rules are being selectively implemented. It seems such restrictions are being imposed only on Hindu festivals. Why do officials strictly invoke court orders only during Hindu festivals? Why celebrations by other communities are not regulated?” he said.

“Have the officials effectively implemented several judgments regarding mosques and churches? Also, government organised events like Hampi Utsav and Kittur Utsav run late into the night but for Ganesha Chaturthi, the police are asking us to switch off speakers after 10 p.m. If this is not discriminatory, what else is?” he said.

“We are a Hindu majority country and we are forced to seek permission from over a dozen departments merely to install Ganesh idols. It is ridiculous,” he said.

He said that the State government uses caste and religion as a criterion to appoint heads and members of various national trusts.

“The Kannada and Culture Department has appointed chairpersons and members to five trusts in Dharwad. However, some of these have been appointed due to their community affiliation. This is nothing but minority appeasement,” he said.

“All such members should be replaced. Religion should not be a criterion for appointments to art and culture forums,” he said.

Mr. Mutalik said that the controversy surrounding Dharmasthala is a conspiracy by anti-Hindu vested interests.

“I think it is a conspiracy by Leftist and anti-Hindu forces. It is targeting the Hindu community and its pilgrimage centers. But now, various Hindu organisations have united and are fighting attempts to malign Dharmasthala,” he said.

“Across the State, over 600 girls have gone missing and 580 cases of minor pregnancies have been reported. Why has Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not formed an SIT to probe into these incidents? Why he is targeting only Dharmasthala?” he said.

He warned of State-level protests if such attempts continue.