Entrepreneur slams 'VIP culture' at Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja pandal, shares shocking video of devotees being mistreated

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Lakhs of devotees throng the Lalbaugcha Raja, arguably the most famous Ganesh mandal in Mumbai, and wait in queues for hours to seek the blessings of their beloved deity. However, each year, there have been complaints of devotees being roughed up by the mandal management.

The situation seems to be no different this year either. Entrepreneur Harsh Goenka has shared a video of common citizens being pushed around by the mandal management. A woman is seen getting hurt in the video shared by Goenka, slamming the 'VIP culture' at the pandal in South Mumbai.

In a post on social media platform X, Goenka has written, "Ever wondered why people opt for VIP darshan at Lalbaugcha Raja? It's because the common devotee often faces long waits and crowds, highlighting the unequal treatment. Isn't faith supposed to be equal for all?"

His video has gone viral and X users have agreed with him over the issue. Many have shared their own unpleasant experiences with the mandal management. People have demanded to end the VIP culture so that all devotees get equal access at such big pandals in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, television actor Simran Budharup has spoken about her "disheartening experience" at the most-famous Ganpati pandal of Mumbai. In a post on social media Instagram, Budharup said she went to seek the blessings of Lalbaugcha Raja but the staff indulged in "unacceptable behaviour" with her and her mother.

"Today, I visited Lalbagh Cha Raja with my mother to seek blessings, but our experience was marred by the unacceptable behavior of the staff. A man from the organization snatched my mother's phone while she was clicking the picture (she was In The queue behind me not that she was taking any extra time as It was my turn for the Darshan), and when she tried to retrieve it, he pushed her. I intervened, and the bouncers rough-handled me, when I started recording this behavior of them they tried snatching my phone too (it's In this video where I am yelling "Mat Karo! Kya Kar Rahe ho aap) . It was only when they discovered I'm an actor that they backed off," Budharup wrote on Instagram.

She added, "This incident highlights the need for awareness and accountability. People visit such places with good intentions, seeking positivity and blessings. Instead, we were met with aggression and disrespect. I understand that managing crowds is challenging, but it's the staff's responsibility to maintain order without misbehaving or harming devotees. I'm sharing this to bring attention to the issue and hope it serves as a wake-up call for event organizers and staff to treat visitors with dignity and respect. Let's work together to create a safer, more positive environment for everyone.
#LalbaghChaRaja #RespectForDevotees #Accountability"