Brahmin outfit holds protest against Pune civic body; 7 held

Police arrested seven members of the Akhil Bhartiya Brahman Mahasangh (ABBM) for violating COVID-19 restrictions by holding the protest. ABBM president Anand Dave said the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has deployed mobile containers for immersion in view of COVID-19 restrictions.

Alleging that the Pune civic body is using garbage disposal containers as tanks for immersion of Lord Ganesh's idols, a Brahmin outfit on Monday staged a demonstration outside the corporation's office here. Police arrested seven members of the Akhil Bhartiya Brahman Mahasangh (ABBM) for violating COVID-19 restrictions by holding the protest.

ABBM president Anand Dave said the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has deployed mobile containers for immersion in view of COVID-19 restrictions. "However, it was noticed that the PMC is using huge garbage bins for immersion of idols, which has hurt sentiments of devotees of Lord Ganesh," he alleged.

The allegations were refuted by the PMC. A Shivajinagar police station officer said seven ABBM members were arrested for violating lockdown norms and not obtaining permission to hold protest.

"The process of releasing them on bail is going on," he said. Meanwhile, Dave appealed to citizens to bring idols of Lord Ganesh to the premises of the PMC on the day of immersion, if the civic body fails to take corrective action.

Refuting the allegations, PMC's solid waste management department head Dnyaneshwar Molak said, "No garbage disposal containers have been used as immersion tanks. We are using old water tanks". PTI SPK NSK NSK.