Maharashtra News: Stone Pelting Sparks Tension During Ganpati Visarjan in Bhiwandi

In Bhiwandi, Thane district of Maharashtra, the Ganpati Visarjan was being celebrated with great enthusiasm. Like every year, a pandal was set up near the Hindustani Mosque at Vanjarpatti Naka, where the local committee and police were present to welcome the Ganesh mandal. Around midnight, a large Ganesh idol was being taken for immersion from Ghughat Nagar to Nadhi Naka near the Kamwari River. It is alleged that as the idol passed Vanjarpatti Naka, a group of youths started pelting stones at the idol, causing it to break. This sparked an immediate protest from the Ganesh mandal members. Amidst the chaos, the crowd caught one of the accused, beat him up, and handed him over to the police. The mandal members demanded that the police arrest all those responsible for the stone-pelting, refusing to proceed with the immersion until their demand was met. As news of the incident spread, more members of the mandal gathered, chanting "Jai Shri Ram." The situation escalated as crowds from both communities started gathering, creating a tense atmosphere. Sensing the rising tension, senior police officials, including the DCP and ACP, along with a large number of police personnel, arrived at the scene to restore order. While the police tried to calm the crowd, the mandal members insisted that they would not proceed with the immersion until all the accused were arrested.