Residents Block Highway After SI Allegedly Abuses Ganesh Devotees In MP’s Bhikangaon

Bhikangaon, Madhya Pradesh: Anger erupted in the village after residents accused a sub-inspector (SI) Mohar Singh Baghel of abusing children at the Bal Ganesh Mandal on Friday night. Around 9.30 pm, children were celebrating religious festivities outside the pandal as the sun set when Baghel allegedly showed up with a constable.

The children claimed they had permission from authorities to carry on with the events until 11 pm, as agreed during a peace committee meeting. Baghel reportedly responded with abusive language and threatened to hand over the children and the Ganesh idol to the police station. This infuriated locals, who deemed his behavior inappropriate and disrespectful towards religious traditions.

In response, around 11 pm, protesters, including children carrying Ganesh idols, arrived at the police station and blocked the national highway. They chanted "Ganpati Bappa" and demanded immediate action. The blockade persisted for approximately an hour, from 11 pm to 12.15 am, resulting in lengthy lines of vehicles on both sides of the highway. The police eventually returned the idols to the pandal, and the protesters withdrew, allowing traffic to resume.

On Saturday, officials from the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) district coordinator Vinod Nayak, district satsang chief Sandeep Solanki, and Ward 5 residents presented a memorandum to the Superintendent of Police (SP) through the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM). They requested a fair investigation, an FIR against Baghel, and appropriate disciplinary action, warning that further protests would ensue if authorities did not take action.

The Superintendent of Police (SP) Chetan Adlak confirmed that they had received the application and would investigate the matter. Over 20,000 students were anticipated to attend Rahul Gandhi's Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Indore, as reported by Congress spokesperson Amit Chaurasia.