The row over Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan’s statement on serving free Mahaprasad during the Ganesh idol immersion procession took a political twist on Tuesday, with signs it could boomerang on the BJP. Roshan had announced that the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) would provide free food to lakhs of devotees on the festival’s final day.
His remark drew sharp objections in Monday’s BCC council meeting, where BJP councillor and advocate Hanumant Kongali accused the DC of bypassing the council. “We are not against Mahaprasad, but no funds are allocated for it. The DC’s statement is illegal, and he must issue a public apology. Otherwise, we will take the matter to the Governor and even the Centre,” Kongali warned.
The issue escalated on Tuesday after the Ganeshotsav Mahamandal, headed by Ramakant Konduskar, intervened. Konduskar, who narrowly lost to BJP MLA Abhay Patil in the last polls, and other leaders assured district minister Satish Jarkiholi that if the corporation lacked funds, they would raise resources themselves to serve Mahaprasad.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders faced backlash from local activists. At a press meet, Rajkumar Topannavar and Sujit Mulgund alleged that the attack on the DC was driven by communal motives. “His statement was made in good faith, but BJP leaders are targeting him only because he is not Hindu,” Topannavar charged, further accusing MLA Abhay Patil of misusing influence to pressure officials. Mulgund cautioned that people of Belagavi would not forgive BJP leaders for opposing the initiative.
