Gujarat government lifts ban on PoP idols

In a major respite to Ganesh idol-makers, a bench of the Gujarat high court on Friday disposed of their petition after the state government informed the court it had withdrawn a notification banning manufacture and sale of idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP). The notification was issued in May.

“The high court has disposed of the petition after the government withdrew the notification,” said SH Aiyar, counsel for the petitioner, adding the decision will spell relief for over 5,000 idol-makers in the city ahead of the Ganesh festival this month.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by the idol-makers’ association of Gulbai Tekra, which is a hub for making Ganesh and other idols. The development is important in the context of cases recently lodged by the police against the idol-makers.

The idol-makers were charged for flouting the notification issued by the city police commissioner under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The association, through advocates Mukul Sinha and
Subramaniam Aiyar, challenged the notification.