Despite high court stay, Muslim vendors again not given stall permission at Madhi festival
Muslim vendors say they were denied permission to set up stalls at Kanifnath Yatra in Ahilyanagar despite the Bombay HC staying a gram sabha ban on them.
In a repeat of the events of the previous year, Muslim vendors have again not been given permission to set up stalls at the Kanifnath Yatra in Madhi, Ahilyanagar, by former sarpanch and current administrator of the village, Sanjay Markad. Despite a High Court stay on the 2025 gram sabha resolution that banned Muslim vendors, many of who have been serving the festival for decades, Markad has remained firm in his opposition to giving them permission.
The Maharashtra government has decided that sarpanchs whose terms have ended will serve as administrators.
The Indian Express spoke to three such vendors who said they had visited the village to get permission to set up stalls in the festival but were denied. Two others said that they did not visit the village to obtain permission because they knew the effort would be futile.
The Kanifnath yatra takes place every year during Holi at Madhi in Pathardi taluka of Ahilyanagar. The Kanifnath shrine present at the village is revered by both Hindus and Muslims since centuries. The yatra attracts vendors from various towns. In February 2025, the Madhi gram sabha, under BJP’s sarpanch Markad, passed a resolution banning Muslim shopkeepers from setting up stalls. The Bombay High Court bench at Aurangabad stayed the resolution after it was challenged by local Muslims. Hindu residents of the village and even panchayat samiti members belonging to the BJP like Chandrabhan Pakhre had told The Indian Express that they opposed the decision of the sarpanch to discriminate against Muslim vendors.
On being asked if he had allowed Muslims to set up stalls this time, Markad told The Indian Express, “Absolutely not. We have 1,200 stalls this time and we are not giving permission to them. We got just one application from a Muslim vendor and that was rejected as well.”
A vendor from the community in Madhi said that the 20-25 stalls of Muslims residents of the village are present throughout the year, but any Muslims who come from other villages are not being given permission. Nasir Shaikh, Pathardi taluka president of the Congress, said, “We spoke to the sarpanch but he has outright denied giving permissions to Muslims.”
Another Muslim vendor from a neighbouring village who was denied permission said, “I am 61 years old and I have come to this yatra all my life. My father and my grandfather also set up shop here, for at least 100 years now. We set up our shop selling haldi, kumkum, lungi, and other such material. What have we done wrong? We are people from normal families just trying to earn a living. We were told if we try to set up our shops there they will be destroyed. We have all lived peacefully with all communities all our life. There was never any problem in Madhi.”
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Pathardi Block Development Officer Sangeeta Palve told The Indian Express, “I had spoken to the gram sevak earlier and Muslims residing in the village have set up stalls there. I have not got complaints from any Muslims from outside the village. If we get complaints we will investigate.” District Collector Dr Pankaj Ashiya did not respond to calls for a comment.
Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.
Professional Background
Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.
Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.
Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:
1. Investigations & Governance
"Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.
"44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.
2. Education & Campus Life
Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.
"Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.
"Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers.
3. Human Rights & Social Issues
"Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India.
"'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.
Signature Style
Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.
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