HC disposes plea seeking revision of immersion procession rules

The petition spoke of alleged discrimination in the immersion procession.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday disposed of a writ petition which was filed by Shailesh Badhai, president of Badhai Samaj Trust in Raviwar Peth seeking direction to the administration to allow smaller mandals to carry out the procession before the five famous Ganesh mandals (Manache mandals). The petition spoke of alleged discrimination in the immersion procession.

For years, it has been the practise that the five Ganapati mandals – Kasba Ganpati Saarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, Tambdi Jogeshwari Ganpati, Guruji Talim Ganpati, Tulshibaug Ganpati Mandal and Kesari wada Ganpati – immerse their idols first, followed by the smaller mandals.

Saying that these mandals were always given priority, Badhai petitioned that either the court should set a time limit within give the said five mandals should complete their procession on the final day of the Ganesh festival or the Manache mandals should allow other mandals to head for immersion on a first-come, first-served basis to avoid delay.

Speaking to Pune Pulse about the developments in the case, Advocate Asim Sarode said that the court asked as to how many small Ganesh mandals say that police have refused to give permission to hold an immersion procession on Laxmi road.

“Why was there no public interest litigation then? Why has only one Ganesh mandal approached the court? It is wrong to assume that the immersion procession will go on for 24 to 28 hours. The police will carry out their responsibility efficiently,” said the court, as per advocate Asim Sarode.

Sarode also added that many smaller mandals would now seek permission from police to carry out the procession ahead of Manache Ganesh mandals. He also said that irrespective of the police’s decision in this issue, they will file a petition again against this ‘wrong practice’.