On Friday, Congress leader Vijay Bhike took a decisive step by lodging a police complaint against the organizers of the Sunburn festival held in Goa after an image depicting Lord Shiva was showcased during the event. Similarly, Amit Palekar, the AAP Goa chief, echoed the sentiment by urging the state government to take action against the festival's organizers, citing their act as offensive to the sentiments of "Sanatan Dharma."
The Sunburn EDM, a renowned electronic dance music festival, commenced on December 28 at Vagator in North Goa and concluded on Saturday, December 30.
Expressing his concern on X (previously Twitter), the AAP leader conveyed, "The sight of people consuming alcohol, reveling in loud music, and witnessing what I perceived as a derogatory portrayal of my lord Shiva's images during the EDM Festival deeply hurts my Sanatan Dharma." Amit Palekar further addressed Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, urging immediate action by registering an FIR against the festival's organizers.
Highlighting the context, he emphasized that Lord Shiva's image was projected at a festival that promotes alcohol consumption, stressing the need for the state's top law enforcement officer to acknowledge this as a punishable offence.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Palekar reiterated his stance, revealing that he had contacted the Goa Director General of Police, urging the immediate registration of an offence against the organizers of the Sunburn festival. He expressed dissatisfaction, stating that employing the image of their deity during an EDM festival, especially where alcohol was served, was not acceptable.
Palekar expressed dismay over revellers being inebriated and dancing while Lord Shiva's image was being displayed on the screen, deeming it inappropriate.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Bhike, in his complaint, explicitly stated that the organizers deliberately offended the religious sentiments of Hindus by insinuating that Lord Shiva endorsed alcohol consumption, substance abuse, and other illicit activities associated with the event.
Confirming the development, a senior police official informed PTI that they had received the complaint from Congress and were actively investigating the matter to address the concerns raised.
