A police official in Maharashtra has apologised after disrespecting a Hindu deity. Police Inspector KK Patil of the Chalisgaon City police station in Maharashtra had disrespected the holy seat of Narad Muni in a Warkari Kirtan organized near the Sapta Shrungi Devi temple on 27th April 2022 at the night, when he had been there to ask the organizers to switch off the loudspeakers as it was already 10 PM then.
On the next day, as the news spread, Hindus, especially the followers of the Warkari Sampradaya outraged against the police inspector. Looking at the situation and considering the excellent services of KK Patil during his tenure in Chalisgaon city, the local MLC of the Bharatiya Janata Party Mangesh Chavan intervened and police inspector KK Patil apologized for the mistake he committed while performing his duties. He also added that he had done it ‘unknowingly’.
Warkari Sampradaya of Maharashtra and its Kirtan tradition date back to the thirteenth century. The 7-century-old tradition is still practiced by the devotees. One such Kirtan was organized in front of the Sapta Shrungi Devi temple in the Hanumansingh Rajput Nagar area of the Chalisgaon city of Maharashtra on 27th April 2022 in the evening. At around 10:15 PM, when the Chalisgaon city police inspector KK Patil was patroling in the Nagat Road area, he heard the sounds from a loudspeaker at the venue of the Kirtan. As the usage of loudspeakers from 10 PM to 6 AM is prohibited by the orders of the Supreme Court of India, he went there to ensure that the organizers of the Kirtan switch off the loudspeakers.
As KK Patil approached the dais to instruct the organizers, he walked onto the holy seat of Narad Muni placed there, without putting his shoes off. According to KK Patil, he was unaware of the fact that every dais of the Warkari Kirtan program has a holy seat of Devarshi Narad who is supposed to be the first person to perform Kirtan as a part of worshipping the Hindu deities in general and Lord Vishnu and his incarnations in particular.
As the news of the inspector disrespecting the holy seat spread, it created a feeling of anger amongst the local Hindus. Even from various parts of the state, many followers of the Warkari Sampradaya started contacting their fellows in Chalisgaon to know more about the incident and condemn this act. Many Hindu organizations also contacted the local Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Mangesh Chavan and informed him about the incident.
Mangesh Chavan called a meeting of the important local members of the Warkari Sampradaya and the police inspector at the Antyodaya Janseva Karyalaya, where, in front of Lord Pandurang and Maharaj Shivaji’s idols, the police inspector KK Patil apologized for ‘unknowingly’ disrespecting the holy seat and hurting the sentiments of the Warkari people. KK Patil said, “I also belong to a family that believes in the Warkari tradition but unfortunately I was unaware of the holy seat of Narad Muni in the Warkari Kirtan. When I was patrolling in that area it was already 10:15 PM. Therefore, when I heard the sound of the loudspeaker, I went there to ensure that the orders of the court are followed. I was in my police uniform. I went to the dais with the same and therefore the act is unknowingly done by me. I apologize for this.”
सदर फोटो व व्हिडीओ सोशल मिडीयावर व्हायरल झाले असता राज्यभरातील वारकारी संप्रदाय व हिंदू जनमानसात तीव्र स्वरूपाच्या प्रतिक्रिया उमटू लागल्या. काल मध्यरात्री याबाबत बातमी कळली तसेच चाळीसगाव तालुक्यातील वारकरी संप्रदायातील मान्यवर व हिंदुत्ववादी संघटनांचे याबाबत फोन आले असता… pic.twitter.com/uHmq7E92za
— Mangesh Chavan (@mlamangeshbjp) April 28, 2022
MLC Mangesh Chavan said, “Though this act by inspector KK Patil has hurt the feelings of Hindus and especially the Warkaris, this incident happened just because he did not know the importance of the holy seat of Shri Narad Muni. Warkari Sampraday is a Bhakti tradition known for forgiving everyone. But as the disrespect that unknowingly took place and caused an outrage from the society, KK Patil Saheb himself showed the maturity to apologize.”
काल दि.२७ एप्रिल रोजी रात्री चाळीसगाव शहरातील संतोषी माता मंदिराजवळ कीर्तन कार्यक्रम १० वाजेनंतर सुरु असल्याचे लक्षात येताच शहर पो.नि. के.के.पाटील यांनी त्याठिकाणी जाऊन सदर माईक बंद केला तसेच संप्रदायात पवित्र अश्या नारदाच्या गादीवर बुटासहित पाय ठेवले गेल्याची घटना घडली होती. pic.twitter.com/dZnrW0OVxy
— Mangesh Chavan (@mlamangeshbjp) April 28, 2022
Mangesh Chavan further said, “Since when KK Patil joined the Chalisgaon police station, illegal activities in the area are reduced. He put a check on the crime rate here. Vagabonds wandering on the roads and teasing the local girls now fear the police and their discipline. All this could happen only because KK Patil is performing his duties very promptly. And I am not saying all this just to praise him as a local MLC. In fact, we all have witnessed this change. Even members of the Warkari Sampradaya have noticed this thing. It happens when you are doing your duty very well, something happens unknowingly. I appeal to all the Warkaris to forgive this good officer who is really doing well for society. I request all not to paint this incident in any unsolicited shade and maintain harmony.”
A senior member from the local Warkari Sampradaya said, “Considering the intense feelings of all the Warkaris over the incident that took place yesterday, inspector KK Patil apologized for his mistake in presence of MLC Mangesh Chavan and other senior members of the Warkari Sampradaya including the organizers, singers, devotees and the chief Kirtankaar of the program he visited. KK Patil Saheb expressed his feelings. He swore by his only son and said that he really did not know that this is the holy seat of Narad Muni. After all, I am also a Hindu, but I did not know this. This has happened unknowingly. He asked us to kindly forgive him. We hail all the good works he has done so far for this city. It is KK Patil Saheb who has made sure that our girls are safe.”
मी तत्काळ पोलीस निरीक्षक के के पाटील यांना सदर विषयाचे गांभीर्य लक्षात आणून दिले व याचे उद्या राज्यभरात पडसाद उमटून कायदा सुव्यस्थेचा प्रश्न निर्माण होईल याची कल्पना दिली. त्यावेळी पोलीस निरीक्षक के.के.पाटील यांनी देखील सदर घटना अनवधानाने झाली असून मला नारदाच्या गादीचे महत्व pic.twitter.com/k8DIarZc8C
— Mangesh Chavan (@mlamangeshbjp) April 28, 2022
All other Warkaris and Kirtankaar people also agreed that it is KK Patil who ensured that Weekly Kirtans and Week-long Kirtans both are organized again as these traditional events were discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic. MLC Mangesh Chavan shared the whole incident from his Twitter handle.
