BHOPAL: Bengali idol makers living in Indore had to face the wrath of Bajrang Dal men, over making of modern style and controversial idols of Lord Ganesha for the upcoming Ganesha Puja festival.
At least three Bengali idol makers, identified as Chandra Nath Pal, Raju Pal and Ratan Lal Pal, had to face the anger of Bajrang Dal men led by Praveen Darekar and Lucky Raghuvanshi in Khajrana area on Sunday evening.
Angered over the Bengali idol makers creating idols showing the Hindu god of knowledge, wisdom and new beginnings holding holding female idols(looking like models), the Hindu right-winger men blackened the faces of three idol makers and then took them to Indore’s Khajrana police station.
In a video pertaining to the incident, three Bengali idol makers can be seen standing with the Bajrang Dal men in the police station premises. In the 1.51 minutes video, faces of the three idol makers can be seen blackened.
The idol makers can be seen telling the Hindu outfit’s men that the concerned Lord Ganesha idols were being made as per pictures given by the customers (some Ganesha Puja organisers) of Indore only.
The idol-makers can be seen apologising for the two idols, as the Bajrang Dal men ask them that if any customers wanted them to create a Lord Ganesha idol with the slain al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden standing in the background, will they make such idols also.
One of the Bajrang Dal men can also be seen telling the idol-makers that Mata Riddhi-Siddhi (Lord Ganesha's two wives) are shown as seated side by side Lord Ganesha."But you (idol makers) have crossed all limits, by showing females in Lord Ganesha's arms. If you make good idols, we will felicitate you with floral garlands, but if you distort the idols and hurt religious sentiments, you'll be punished."
The three idol makers who hail from Bengal, but have made Indore their home since last many years, had reportedly courted controversy in 2024 also by making a Goddess Durga idol attired in a dress resembling the Burqa.
While confirming the Sunday evening incident, additional DCP (Indore) Amrendra Singh told the TNIE on Monday, “A case of hurting religious feelings has been registered against the three idol makers and bound over action also initiated against them".
Several idol-makers (all Hindus) from West Bengal have made Indore their home for the last many years and reside in areas, like the Bengali Chouraha.
Keeping in mind the presence of over 50 such idol-makers in Indore, the Bajrang Dal men have also demanded their regular police verification.