In their complaint to the Mumbai Police, lawyers Ashish Rai and Pankajkumar Mishra stated, “During darshan, children, women, senior citizens, and the differently abled face discrimination. Common citizens are mistreated, insulted, and even assaulted by the managers and staff. Such a system is highly unacceptable.”
Bombay: Two lawyers from the Bombay High Court have lodged a complaint with the Mumbai Police, alleging unequal treatment between common devotees and VIPs during prayer offerings at Lalbaugcha Raja.
A viral video on social media shows pandal staff pushing regular visitors right after they offer prayers at Lord Ganesha’s feet, while a separate group of individuals, believed to be VIPs, are seen standing calmly, smiling for the cameras, without being hurried or pushed by the staff.
Industrialist Harsh Goenka shared a video from the Lalbaugcha Raja pandal, highlighting the disparity in the treatment of regular devotees.
In his post, he wrote, “Ever wondered why people choose VIP darshan at Lalbaugcha Raja? It’s because common devotees often endure long waits and crowded conditions, reflecting unequal treatment. Isn’t faith meant to be equal for everyone?”
The video starts with a crowd of devotees rushing into the pandal as the gates open for darshan. As it continues, security and staff are seen forcefully closing the gates, while devotees struggle to get inside. Towards the end, a woman is shown hugging another, trying to comfort her after the chaotic, near stampede-like experience.
In their complaint to the Mumbai Police, lawyers Ashish Rai and Pankajkumar Mishra stated,
“During darshan, children, women, senior citizens, and the differently abled face discrimination. Common citizens are mistreated, insulted, and even assaulted by the managers and staff. Such a system is highly unacceptable.”
The lawyers pointed out that this mistreatment of common people has been occurring repeatedly every year during the darshan of Lord Ganesha at Lalbaugcha Raja.
On Saturday, a large crowd of devotees gathered for darshan and to offer prayers. Among the prominent leaders present were Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh Dhankhar, BJP national president JP Nadda, along with Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Bhupendra Yadav.
The renowned Lord Ganesha idol, hosted by the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, remains a major attraction during the festive season, drawing thousands of worshippers.
On September 5, the first look of this year’s Lalbaugcha Raja was revealed. Lalbaugcha Raja, the renowned Lord Ganesha idol of the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1934 at Putlabai Chawl.
The Kambli family, caretakers of this iconic deity, have overseen the idol and its festivities for more than 80 years.
