BJP MP Medha Kulkarni rushes in to stop ‘noisy’ garba event, alleges inaction by Pune police
Medha Kulkarni said she faced heckling from the young crowd but said she would approach higher authorities if the police did not take action against such noise pollution.
Kulkarni asserted that she will not allow such events to take place at the Jeet ground. (Express photo)
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni halted a “loud” garba event, a dance performed during the Navratri festival, in the Kothrud area of Pune late Saturday evening after receiving a spate of complaints from people, including the elderly and those with health issues.
Kulkarni went straight to the Jeet ground in Kothrud, where the event was in progress. She found that several youngsters were playing dandiya to loud music being played by DJs, ignoring all environmental laws.
You’ve Read Your Free Stories For Now
Sign up and keep reading more stories that matter to you.
”I was visiting other mandals in the city for ‘aarti’. Like every day, I received some calls and messages on my cell phone from citizens. They complained to me every day that loud music was being played on the speaker system at the dandiya event. Among those who complained were cancer patients and even a 90-year-old citizen,” Kulkarni told The Indian Express.
The MP expressed her shock at discovering that all environmental laws had been disregarded and music was being played at ear-splitting levels. “When I reached the spot, to my shock, I found huge walls of DJs were set up and deafening music was being played. I arrived there around 9.30 pm and immediately forced them to stop the music system. I had to do it for the sake of the hassled citizens. Elderly and ailing citizens were calling me up for three to four hours, complaining about the loud music,” she said.
”How can the police allow all environmental laws to be thrown to the wind? How can the organisers trample upon the laid-down norms? Does no one bother about the fragile environment that we live in? Are we not concerned about our future generations?” she asked.
Kulkarni said when she tried to stop the loud music, she was heckled by the young crowd. ”They heckled me and jeered at me. They insulted me. Like the troll army of social media, they were trolling. But it did not bother me. I was trying to convince them they must also be having elderly and ailing relatives and grandparents at their homes, but they continued to heckle me.”
“Let them do what they want. I will not allow them to violate the environmental laws and threaten the lives of the elderly and ailing citizens,” she said.
Story continues below this ad
Kulkarni asserted that she will not allow such events to take place at the Jeet ground. ”If the police are not doing anything, I will approach Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and ask him to put an end to this menace,” she said.
Kulkarni said that since the start of Navratri, she had been forwarding complaints received from citizens to Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar and other senior officials, including DCPs. ”But they have done nothing about these nuisance makers,” she said.
The MP said she had learnt that the Pune police had not given permission for holding the event. ”But it seems some politicians had put pressure and forced the police to allow the event to take place.”
The MP said, ”We never saw that you should not follow your religion. However, at the same time, people should organise such events that adhere to religious principles and values. Those which will add honour to the religion. You can’t have pernicious music and ugly dances.”
Story continues below this ad
Close aides of Kulkarni said the MP had also called up the Pune police during Ganpati and complained about the noisy festival. ”The MP told the police that she will go on a hunger strike if they don’t take action against the noisy mandals. The police informed me that it was against the law. Then I told them they can arrest me,” she said.
MP draws praise
The MP’s initiative has drawn praise from environmentally conscious citizens and even those opposed to the BJP. “I never thought any BJP leader would make me compliment them. However, I would like to congratulate Medha Kulkarni for her strong stance against the noisy event. All these noisy events should be stopped. City should experience peace… Even the Ganesh festival should be held in a peaceful manner. There should be no noise,” said activist Vishwambhar Choudhari.
Environmentalist Prashant Raul said, ”Medha Kulkarni is an environmentalist to the core. She is a politician in the real sense. She cares for Pune, its citizens and their health. We want to compliment her for stopping the noisy event and showing how much she cares for the environment and our elderly and ailing citizens. The MP should now keep the momentum going and put pressure on the government not to allow DJs or any other form of loud music to be played during our festivals.”
Raul said that when the environmentalists launched the campaign to save our rivers, the MP was right upfront. “I remember she had landed up at 7 in the morning for the campaign. Because of her presence, we got a new energy,” he said.
Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis.
Professional Legacy
Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles.
Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change.
Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities.
Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees.
Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area:
1. Political Shifts & Alliances
"Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala.
"BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls.
"Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections.
"NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections.
2. Civic & Administrative Accountability
"PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions.
"93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads.
3. Social & Labor Issues
"As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra.
"Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse.
Signature Beat
Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport.
X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More
