During a Ganesh Utsav program, far-right monk Madhuram Sharan Shiva, leader of the armed monks’ group Shiva Shakti Akhada, questioned why the idol of Ganesh no longer carries weapons despite Ganesh being Chaturbhuja (four-armed). He claimed that Hindus had gradually become weaponless and were “destroyed and plundered” after “abandoning their weapons,” alleging that even the weapons of their deities had been taken away. He urged organisers to ensure that the idol carries its “original weapons.” He also fearmongered about the decline of the Hindu population, citing Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and claiming that Hindu populations in nine states had fallen from around 90% to as low as 5–10%, leaving Hindus unable to organise religious events.