Cuttack: After HC Refuses To Intervene, Police Ask Organisers Not To Install ‘Fancy’, ‘Distorted’ Ganesh Idols

Cuttack: After the Orissa High Court (HC) on Monday refused to intervene in the matter over “fancy” and “distorted” Ganesh idols, Cuttack DCP Pinak Mishra on Monday appealed to organisers not to install such idols.

“Any exception or deviation in idols will invite action. Anything that will hurt religious sentiments will not be allowed,” he was quoted as saying.

Refusing to intervene in the matter, the HC on Monday directed the police and administration to take an appropriate decision in this regard and put in place security measures as necessary.

Days before Ganesh Puja, a row has erupted over some of the idols prepared by artisans of Kumbhar Sahi in Cuttack.

After complaints that the idols have not been prepared in the traditional manner but look “distorted”, artisans of Kumbhar Sahi alleged they were called by Puri Ghat police to the police station, where they were warned, asked to remove the “distorted” idols and made to give an undertaking.

Following this, an artisan, Narayan Muduli, filed a petition in the HC.

The artisans, whose business was hit hard during COVID-19, said they will suffer huge losses if they are not allowed to sell the idols and have to demolish them. They urged the HC that they should be allowed to sell the idols.

Advocate Ashish Kumar Mishra was quoted in media reports as saying that the petition was disposed of because there was less time at hand. “The HC did not grant any relief in the matter as there is only 48 hours left for the festival and there is not much time to examine the report of the Commissionerate Police over the contentious nature of the Ganesh idols,” he said. “All police actions were carried out orally without any written records. A writ petition will be filed again to address the concerns of the artisans,” he added.