Plaster of Paris idols don’t affect environment: Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday expressed his belief that the immersion of Ganesha idols made of plaster of Paris in water bodies does not lead to environmental problems.
Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday expressed his belief that the immersion of Ganesha idols made of plaster of Paris (POP) in water bodies does not lead to environmental problems.
The then mayor of Mumbai Dr Shubha Raul, belonging to Thackeray’s party, had campaigned for eco-friendly immersions of Ganesha idols two years ago.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Thackeray criticised the Maharashtra Andhshraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS), the organisation which had filed a petition in the high court. “Idols made of POP cannot be the question of superstition or the environment. People used to worship such idols even before these frauds were born. As these idols are not immersed in drinking water or public water sources, how can they pose a threat to the environment?” wondered Thackeray.
MANS head Dr Narendra Dabholkar said, “In Pune, the idols are immersed in the Mula and Mutha rivers, while they are immersed in the Panchganga in Kolhapur. Water from these rivers is used for drinking.”