Vadodara Navratri Festival: Congress accuses police of violating guidelines

The city unit of Congress has written to MoS for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja alleging that the Vadodara Navratri Festival, organised in association with the City Police Commissionerate, has been violating the Supreme Court guidelines regarding the time limit for the use of loudspeakers.

The letter also stated that the police have organised the garba in association with Amit Bhatnagar, an accused in a case of excise evasion of Rs 40 crore, thus, setting a “bad example”.

In the letter, Vadodara city Congress vice-president Shailesh Amin has raised questions over the third edition of the annual Vadodara Navratri Festival.

The letter contended that the police department is violating rules in its own event, while penalising common people for violations. The letter stated, “It is the age of e-challans and so thousands of motorists have been penalised for traffic rule violations with 18 per cent GST implemented on the fine amount. However, in its own event, the Vadodara Navratri Festival, the police are violating all guidelines including the order of the

Gujarat High Court which prohibits putting up hoardings along roads. Several hoardings of the festival, with a logo of the police commissionerate of Vadodara have come up illegally across the city.”

Amin has stated that Navlakhi Garba Ground, which is close to the SSG hospital, is a silent zone, but the event is violating the Supreme Court guidelines.

Amin has said, “The ground falls under the silent zone near the Civil hospital—SSG—of Vadodara. Moreover, the SC guideline states that during the Navratri festivities, garba grounds can play loudspeaker music latest until midnight. However, the police event goes on until 2am, in a clear violation of the rules.”

When contacted, city police commissioner Manoj Sashidhar refused to comment on the matter.