Hyderabad, Sep 21 (IANS) Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi representatives on Monday staged a protest against restrictions on the immersion of Ganesh idols at Tank Bund in Hyderabad.
In an act of defiance, they removed barricades erected by authorities to prevent immersion of idols into Hussain Sagar Lake from Tank Bund.
Wearing saffron caps and scarves and raising slogans, the protestors sat on the road, disrupting the movement of vehicles on the busy road which connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
The protest triggered tension in the area in the heart of the Telangana capital. The protestors removed the barricades in the presence of scores of police personnel. They also threw a few railings into the lake.
Police later detained the protestors and shifted them to police stations.
Like the last few years, the Ganesh Utsav Samithi is protesting against the decision to prohibit Ganesh idol immersion at Tank Bund on the ground that it remains a traditional immersion point.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and police have put up flex boards on Tank Bund saying immersion from the stretch is not permitted.
Devotees have been advised to use only designated points for idol immersion. The authorities have installed cranes at People’s Plaza, Necklace Road and NTR Marg to immerse the idols.
Authorities have also announced that only clay and other eco-friendly idols will be permitted to be immersed from the designated points.
Citing the High Court orders, they said Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols should be immersed in artificial ‘baby ponds’ created at various places in the twin cities.
In 2021, the Telangana High Court prohibited direct immersion of PoP idols in Hussain Sagar and other lakes in and around the city on environmental grounds. It directed authorities to provide artificial ponds as an alternative.
The court also restricted immersion from Tank Bund, a 2.2 km long road that connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The stretch is a popular spot for tourists on the banks of the picturesque lake.
However, following the protest by Ganesh Utsav Samithi, authorities permitted immersion at Tank Bund on the final day of festivities by arranging cranes.
The festivities, which began on September 14, will conclude with a massive immersion procession on September 25. Idols from various parts of the twin cities and outskirts are brought to the lake for immersion.
Meanwhile, BJP has extended its support to the Ganesh Utsav Committee, demanding lifting of restrictions on immersion of idols at Tank Bund.
Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao stated that for decades, the immersion of Ganesh idols has been taking place at Tank Bund. This time, the Congress government has prohibited the immersion of idols there, he said and demanded that permission be granted for the immersion of idols. Even from an environmental protection perspective, after the immersion, the idols and their remnants are removed as part of routine cleaning measures. Necessary arrangements should be made to ensure that the immersion takes place peacefully and smoothly, he said.
Meanwhile, BJP workers and some right-wing organisations held a protest on Monday in Karimnagar district, demanding that the authorities release water into Chintakunta canal for immersion of Ganesh idols.
The protestors gathered at the canal and raised slogans against the government. Police detained the protestors.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, strongly condemned the police high-handedness and arrests of BJP workers and Hindu organisation members protesting for water for Vinayak immersion at Chintakunta.
“Why does the Congress government show such disregard whenever it comes to Hindu festivals? Asking the government to release water cannot be answered with police batons & arrests. Hats off to their resolve in fighting for water for Vinayak immersion,” he said in a post on X.
–IANS
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