The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Sunday shut the iconic Sarasbaug garden for the entire day, following a request from BJP Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni, who claimed that Eid-al-Adha celebrations in the park could disrupt the sanctity of the historic temple located at its centre.
The PMC administration had shut the gates of Sarasbaug garden, putting up a notice stating that the garden was closed for the day and that eating food inside the premises was prohibited.
In a letter to the PMC dated June 6, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni stated that Sarasbaug houses a Peshwa-era Ganesh temple, which is a sacred place of worship for lakhs of Hindus.
“It has been observed that people of Muslim community turn up in large numbers in Sarasbaug Garden and consume meat by violating garden rules. This hurts sentiments of Hindu community,” she claimed.”
“There is a possibility of communal tension between the two communities if they come face to face,” said Kulkarni, adding that “there seems to be truth in the complaint by Hindu organisations” as many members of the Muslim community allegedly gather and consume meat, “which is spoiling the sanctity of the temple.”
“This can’t be tolerated,” she said.
Medha Kulkarni urged the PMC to “keep the garden closed on Sunday and only allow temple visitors through the gate. This should be done to avoid any untoward incident that could disturb the peace,” adding that “the temple should remain open for the Hindu community.”
Medha Kulkarni wrote on X, “The sanctity of the Siddhivinayak Temple premises in Sarasbagh will not be allowed to be violated!”
“We have immense respect for former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Colonel Sophia Qureshi,” however, she warned that “if someone intentionally hurts the religious sentiments of Hindus by eating non-vegetarian food in the park surrounding the temple, the Hindu community is capable of giving a befitting reply.”
The Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal has strongly criticised the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for closing Sarasbaug on Eid without proper verification, calling this “a denial of civil rights and an affront to the Muslim community.”
“It is surprising that they do not realize that by spreading it, by denying them entry into the garden, this act is reviving the inhuman practice of untouchability. In fact, there are laws against those who break the rules. It is possible to create a mechanism and system for its proper implementation. If eating meat violates the sanctity of the temple, then eating meat should be banned there, not for people of any community,” said Dr. Shamsuddin Tamboli, president of the Mandal.
National Convener of Maharashtra Muslim Conference, Zubair Memon, called this a “modern untouchability.”
“The progressive Hindu society here should come forward at the right time and take to the streets to protest against it,” he said.
Responding to Kulkarni, Congress’s Dhananjay Shinde said, “Your love for the sanctity of the Siddhivinayak Temple seems new, because you have spent your entire life doing politics in the name of religion. Stop using places of worship for polarization. Punekars are cultured, they don’t fall prey to inflammatory politics.”
Professor Apoorvanand called this “his Hindutva jealousy of Muslim festivals.”
Senior labour leader Dr. Baba Adhav said it was unjust to deny Muslims access to the garden the day after Eid, stating, “Muslims take time out of their daily routine to go out, enjoy themselves, entertain their children, etc. on the next day.”
He questioned, “Is it moral to not allow them to enter the garden or to keep the garden closed?” Adding that such actions “do not fit into any rules and laws,” and asserted, “The Constitution has given rights to everyone in this country. It is not right to deny those rights.”
 on Sunday shut the iconic Sarasbaug garden for the entire day, following a request from BJP Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni, who claimed that Eid-al-Adha celebrations in the park could disrupt the sanctity of the historic temple located at its centre.){kind=link}