Ganesh Chaturthi: Civic chief objects to planting of flags at Girgaum Chowpatty

Subodh Kumar claims putting up of hundreds of Siddhivinayak Trust flags by mandals plays havoc with traffic; Ganeshotsav committee wants to continue with practice

THE flags the Siddhivinayak Trust distributes to Ganesha mandals and which are put up near the pandals at Girgaum Chowpatty during the immersion days became a topic of debate in a meeting held between members of the Ganeshotsav Samanvaya Samiti and the BMC.

The Municipal Commissioner did not want these flags to be put up near the immersion site in Girgaum while the samiti members wanted them to be there.


A Sena corporator said the flags have the name of the
Siddhivinayak Trust on them and their distribution
seems like a move to garner publicity

The flags, which have an image of the mooshak (the mouse that Lord Ganesha rides on) on them, are distributed by the Siddhivinayak Trust to various public mandals in the city that are also put up at Girgaum Chowpatty.

Symbolic value
"We requested the (Municipal) Commissioner to give us permission to put up these flags at the immersion sites as they are the symbol of the Siddhivinayak Temple in Dadar.
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But the Commissioner said that these cause problems for the traffic in the city," said Naresh Dahibavkar, president of the Ganeshotsav Samanvaya Samiti.

He added that the samiti would now write a letter to Municipal Commissioner Subodh Kumar seeking permission in advance to put up the flags.

Last year, the trust had distributed 1,500 flags and around 100 were put up at Girgaum.

"This year also the trust will give us some flags and we will put them up at the pandals. Why the BMC is opposing the putting up of these at Girgaum is still unclear.
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One of the reasons can be that the flag is saffron in colour and, may be, the authority does not want it to be related to any political party," said Dahibavkar.

A Shiv Sena corporator, who did not wish to be named, told MiD DAY, "The flag has the name of the trust and it simply looks as if they want publicity.
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The mooshak is fine and should be there, but why have the name of the trust and all?"

The Other Side
The Municipal Commissioner remained unavailable for comment, but an official from the BMC said, "The Commissioner said that the traffic gets affected because of the flags and that's why they should not put
these up."