Pune native Vidyanand Bapat, who has been voicing opposition to the use of DJs and loudspeakers in public places, was attacked by a man in the Tilak Road area on Thursday. The incident took place while Bapat was speaking to a Marathi news channel. The Pune Crime Branch has detained the accused, who was identified as Santosh Chavan, also a local resident.
Vidyanand Bapat has stated in recent days that the unrestricted use of DJs and loudspeakers at public festivals in Pune should be banned. “A madman came here seeking cheap publicity and did this. He only wanted to come into the limelight,” Bapat reportedly said in reaction to the incident.
Who is Santosh Chavan?
A builder by profession, Santosh Chavan is a resident of Rautwadi in Pune's Kothrud area. He is a former president of the Priyadarshini Ganesh Mandal, Loksatta said in a report. According to the news report, Bapat's opposition to DJs and sound systems had angered Chavan, which resulted in the physical assault.
“He keeps criticising it. He should be beaten more. Whoever speaks against Ganeshotsav in Pune city will be slapped in the same manner,” the report quoted the attacker as saying after being detained by the police.
In a video that emerged later, he explained his position, saying, “Even though sound systems cause inconvenience, there should be no problem if the volume is kept within limits. There are thousands of Ganesh mandals in Pune city, and the festival generates economic activity worth crores of rupees and provides livelihoods for thousands of families. Whenever Ganeshotsav arrives, some people become environmentalists and start giving lectures,” Chavan reportedly said in the video, which surfaced after his arrest.
