Dadar Ganpati immersion row: VIP entry allowed, locals allege they were stopped

A video from Mumbai shows chaos instead of a solemn mood at a Ganpati immersion. The video is from the seashore near Kirti College in Dadar, where locals and administration officials got into an argument during the immersion. It was posted on the Instagram page "dadarmumbaikar" and has been viewed around 1.3 lakh times so far.

In the video, some local residents are seen arguing with police and administration officials. They allege that Bappa's immersion is not being carried out as per proper ritual. The administration set up large artificial ponds for immersion, where people are charged money for the service. But those given the job of carrying out the immersion do not do it properly, leading to complaints that the idol is being disrespected.

The biggest allegation is that VIPs are given direct entry there, while people who have lived in Dadar since childhood and consider the sea theirs are the ones stopped from entering. In the video, a man is heard saying, "We were born and raised here. This sea is ours. You are stopping us. Immerse Bappa properly, or let us do it with our own hands." People's anger stems from wanting to bid farewell to Bappa with their own hands, but the administration is not allowing them to do so.

Artificial ponds have been set up at several locations in Mumbai for a reason. Every year, accidents occur during immersion in the sea, and the water also gets polluted. The artificial ponds were built to prevent this. But the complaint is that people are not allowed to carry out the immersion themselves at these ponds; other people do the job instead, and not properly.

The video has drawn a flood of comments. One user wrote, "Boys who have been drinking are doing the immersion. The idol is being disrespected. Who will take responsibility for this?" Another user wrote, "Stop the VIP culture. Respect everyone." Another comment read, "Instead of immersion in a pond, do it at a natural spot." However, some people also supported the administration.

One user asked, "Why do you still go there when you know VIPs are let through?" But most people's anger is over the fact that VIP culture should not be brought into Bappa's immersion either, and everyone should be treated equally, since Bappa belongs to everyone and there should not be separate rules for the wealthy and for ordinary people.

Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had earlier claimed that the artificial ponds it provided for immersion of one-and-a-half-day Ganesh idols during Ganeshotsav received a good response, and that citizens had thanked the corporation for these facilities.