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Curb on immersion of Ganesh idols sparks row in Telangana
Tension prevailed at Tank Bund on the banks of Hussainsagar lake on Tuesday, with hundreds of activists belonging to Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi taking out a bike rally demanding that the state government should make all arrangements for the Ganesh Nimajjanam
The Telangana government’s decision not to allow immersion of Ganesh idols made of plaster of paris (PoP) in the historic Hussainsagar lake in the heart of Hyderabad has evoked strong protests from Hindu groups.
Tension prevailed at Tank Bund on the banks of Hussainsagar lake on Tuesday, with hundreds of activists belonging to Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi taking out a bike rally demanding that the state government should make all arrangements for the Ganesh Nimajjanam (immersion of idols) in the lake as it had been doing every year.
The activists tried to block the busy Tank Bund road bringing the traffic to a grinding halt. However, police belonging to the Hyderabad Central Zone, who have made tight security arrangements around the lake, foiled their attempt and took them, along with Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi general secretary Bhagawanth Rao, into custody and shifted them to Ramgopalpet police station.
On July 22, a division bench of the Telangana high court, headed by chief justice Ujjal Bhuyan and justice Surepalli Nanda, directed the Telangana government to ensure that Ganesh idols made of PoP or any other such material are not immersed in the Hussainsagar lake or any other lakes in Telangana.
Though the high court issued a similar direction in 2021, the state government told the court that since the arrangements had already been made for immersion of idols by then and if they were withdrawn, it might lead to law and order issues. So, the high court directed that at least from 2022, the government should strictly follow the order.
As a result, the Telangana government announced this year well in advance that no arrangements like deployment of cranes and erection of high mast lights for the immerse heavy Ganesh idols made of PoP would be made.
“However, exception has been given for the immersion of the 50-feet Ganesh Idol erected at Khairatabad, closer to Hussainsagar,” Hyderabad police commissioner C V Anand said.
As per the direction of the court, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has created mini-ponds at several places to enable the organisers to take up immersion of idols in them.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party and some right-wing groups, besides the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi, are protesting against the government’s decision.
“In the name of the high court order, the state government is trying to create hurdles for the centralised procession of Ganesh idols on the day of immersion on September 9. It has not made any arrangements for the enmasse immersion of idols, on the pretext that they are made of PoP,” said Rao, Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi general secretary.
He said the Utsav Samithi has given a call to all the organisers of Ganesh mandaps across the state to take out the processions like they had been doing every year and bring the idols to Hussainsagar.
“If police do not make arrangements for mass immersion of idols, we shall block the entire Hyderabad with Ganesh idols and bring the city to a halt,” he warned.
A senior police official, however, said there was no truth in the reports that restrictions had been imposed on immersion of Ganesh idols. “We are not allowing only those idols made of PoP. The organisers are welcome to bring clay Ganesh idols. For the PoP idols, the government has made arrangements for immersion in mini ponds in their respective areas,” he said.
BJP state president Bandi Sanjay strongly condemned the arrest of Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi leaders and activists. “This is nothing but curtailing the rights of the Hindus,” he said.
