The ban on Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) will adversely affect the business and employment of the sons of soil, BJP Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar said on Sunday. The BMC should give permission for Ganesh idols made of PoP, he said. “We do not approve the ban imposed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation as shutting down this industry will affect the employment opportunities for the Marathi manoos," Shelar said. A gathering of Ganesha sculptors from across Maharashtra was organized by the Lalbagh-Parel Ganesh Murtikar Sangh in Parel on Sunday. Ganesh idols in varying sizes are made every year by artists using PoP. These idols are used during the ten-day annual Ganesh festival in Maharashtra. The idol-making and sculpting is a huge source of employment in the state. The annual turnover, including the exports, from this business runs into several crore. If anyone is trying to shut down this industry under the pretext of one decision, we will not let it happen, Shelar warned. Attempt to ban POP idols is definitely not a decision in public interest, neither in the interest of the state nor in the interest of the country, he said. “Now that even scientists have advocated that POP idols can be scientifically immersed without harming the environment, the government needs to give it a second thought,” he said. “We do not agree with BMC’s circular that idols below four feet height must be made only from ‘shadu’ (natural) clay.
