On Saturday, November 9, 2024, police in New Delhi’s capital forcibly halted a Durga Mata Jagran event, which was set to begin on Dr. Vishwambhar Das Marg. This action was taken on the orders of Saket Gokhale, a Member of Parliament from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party. Devotees pleaded with Gokhale, appealing to his understanding of their faith, but he remained unmoved.
Eventually, the attendees were dispersed, leaving the pandal in silence for the entire night. The event was organized by the aides assigned to ministers and MPs. Circumstances forced the attendees to conclude the rituals with just an aarti, without bhajans. OpIndia visited the site on Sunday to report on the situation and gather updates.
The Restricted Location
The area where the Durga Mata prayer event was halted is within the Lutyens Delhi area and coms under CRPF supervision. In front of the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital across the Baba Kharak Singh Marg, several buildings have been constructed, where flats have been allotted to MPs of both houses of the parliament.
In one block on Vishwambhar Das Marg, there are three sections, Sindhu Apartments and Gomti Apartments, housing MPs and several central ministers, while the third block MS Flats is allotted to domestic aides of the residents of the other two buildings. There are several other buildings with flats for MPs and their aides located in the same zone. This high-security zone is under constant CRPF surveillance.
The Mata Jagran was held at the grounds of the MS Flats housing servant quarters, and is located close to nearby Brahmaputra Apartment, another building with flats for MPs.
The Incident
MS Flats residents told OpIndia that they had organized Durga Puja at the same location for over two decades. The celebration, beginning during Navratri, lasts 35 days, during which residents observe fasting. A feast (bhandara) was scheduled for Sunday, following the Jagran on Saturday, and the idol immersion was to take place on Monday.
Residents, including women, children, and the elderly, gathered on Saturday for the Jagran that started around 5 PM. The Jagran had only been underway for 15 minutes when the police arrived at the spot, and ordered the immediate shutdown of the religious event. When questioned, the police stated that MP Saket Gokhale had raised objections and asked to stop it.
Some attendees saw this as an insult to their faith, but when they protested, the police threatened to send them to jail. Scared of police action, they switched off the music system. Devotees even pleaded to clap and sing bhajans without the use of loud speakers, but the police did not even allow. The cops dispersed the crowd forcing them to leave the pandal deserted overnight.
Attempts to Negotiate
When devotees learned that the shutdown was ordered by TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale, they went as a group to request him to not block the event. Elders and former staff members who had worked with Gokhale for years also went to his residence.
They pleaded, but they were turned away and firmly told that the program would not be permitted. Allegedly, Gokhale threatened staff members with imprisonment or eviction from their quarters if they continue with the event. He also talked harshly to those who had worked under him earlier.
As a result, the employees, including lift operators and receptionists, returned without further argument fearing for their jobs. The staff also appealed to the media requesting to protect their jobs from being snatched away by Saket Gokhale.
It was also revealed by the organisers that earlier Gokhale had refused to accept an invitation to the event. He was the only MP to reject it, all other MPs residing in the area had accepted the invitation.
Residents were also puzzled by how actively Delhi Police enforced Saket Gokhale’s order to ban the event when no unlawful activities were taking place.
Noise Complaint from 300 Meters Away
Gokhale insisted that the bhajan noise was disturbing him, citing doctors’ advice against noise. He claimed that his mother is a heart patient and therefore the Jagran should not be held. Devotees argued that the pandal was 300 meters away and the sound won’t travel so much.
They also suggested doing the bhajan with only clapping instead of using microphones. Still, Gokhale was firm, saying he wouldn’t allow the event to proceed even without loudspeakers.
A Blow to Faith
On Sunday, November 10, OpIndia visited the site and found only a dozen people near the deserted pandal. A few children were softly singing bhajans. Residents told OpIndia that their religious sentiments had been deeply hurt. Fearing repercussions, even the nine young girls traditionally invited for blessings were reluctant to attend.
Eventually, a few girls and devotees arrived for the aarti and bhandara but felt disheartened by the lack of respect for their faith. For the sake of continuing the rituals, the organisers asked some children to sing bhajans in low voice, hoping that even if Saket Gokhale objects to it, the police would dismiss them as minors.
Devotees said that instead of using loudspeakers, now bhajans are also being sung in very low voices, almost like whispers. However, at around 1 pm, some girls and devotees came out of the houses and concluded the aarti bhandara properly. Despite this, it kept hitting in the minds of the people that no one respected their faith.
Affected Across the Nation, Predominantly Dalits
The people affected by Gokhale’s Tughlaki sermon hail from various states across India, including Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Majority of people who pleaded with Gokhale to allow the Mata Jagran belong to the Dalit community.
They left in disappointment after Gokhale didn’t relent, while women who had come to sing Durga Mata’s bhajans left in tears.
Fear Over Future Festivities
Residents, mostly working as household workers for MPs and ministers, expressed concerns to OpIndia, fearing their jobs might be at risk after this report is published. But still, they felt compelled to speak, saying, “If we remain silent, today’s Jagran may lead to bans on future festivals like Holi and Diwali.”
One woman said that while Mamata Banerjee is providing homes to slum dwellers, her MP is threatening even his own staff of evicting from their residences. Women said that they have been worshipping with bells, conch shells, and drums in previous years, but weren’t even allowed to clap this time. One woman said, “Seeing media, we gathered the courage to speak.”
“We Will Host the Jagran, Let Them Try to Stop Us”
Delhi BJP leader Adesh Gupta visited the location where Saket Gokhale had halted the Mata Jagran. Calling Gokhale’s actions reflective of TMC’s stance, Gupta condemned the incident and announced plans to hold a grand Jagran at the same location within a week, challenging anyone to stop it.
Gupta also attacked AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal over the incident, saying that both Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee share the same political agenda.
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj also arrived, saying that she is monitoring the situation and will release a statement soon after studying the situation. During this, the people their chanted slogans like “Saket Gokhale Murdabad”, “Arvind Kejriwal Murdabad”, “TMC Murdabad” etc.
