Hyderabad: Tension prevailed at Hyderabad’s Tank Bund on Monday as representatives of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi staged a protest against restrictions on Ganesh idol immersion at the traditional immersion point.
The protesters, wearing saffron caps and scarves and raising slogans, removed barricades erected by authorities to prevent the immersion of Ganesh idols directly into Hussain Sagar Lake from Tank Bund. They also sat on the busy road, disrupting vehicular movement between Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
The protest took place in the presence of a large number of police personnel. Some protesters also threw a few railings into the lake. Police subsequently detained the protesters and shifted them to various police stations.
The Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi has been opposing the restrictions on immersion at Tank Bund for the past few years, maintaining that the location has traditionally been used for Ganesh idol immersion.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and police have installed flex boards at Tank Bund stating that idol immersion is not permitted along the stretch. Devotees have been asked to use designated immersion points instead.
Authorities have arranged cranes at People’s Plaza, Necklace Road and NTR Marg to facilitate immersion. They have also stated that only clay and other eco-friendly idols would be permitted at the designated locations.
Officials cited Telangana High Court directions concerning the immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols. In 2021, the High Court prohibited direct immersion of PoP idols in Hussain Sagar and other lakes in and around Hyderabad on environmental grounds and directed authorities to provide artificial ponds as an alternative.
The court also imposed restrictions on immersion from Tank Bund, a 2.2-km stretch connecting Hyderabad and Secunderabad and one of the prominent public spaces along Hussain Sagar.
However, following protests by the Ganesh Utsav Samithi in previous years, authorities had allowed immersion at Tank Bund on the final day of the festivities by making arrangements with cranes.
The Ganesh festivities began on September 14 and will conclude on September 25 with a large-scale immersion procession. Ganesh idols from different parts of Hyderabad, Secunderabad and surrounding areas are expected to be brought for immersion.
BJP Supports Tank Bund Immersion Demand
The BJP has extended support to the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi’s demand to lift restrictions on immersion at Tank Bund.
Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao said Ganesh idol immersion had traditionally taken place at Tank Bund for decades and demanded that devotees be allowed to continue the practice. He also said necessary arrangements should be made to ensure that immersion takes place peacefully while addressing environmental concerns through post-immersion cleaning measures.
Protest Over Ganesh Immersion Water in Karimnagar
Meanwhile, BJP workers and members of some Hindu organisations staged a separate protest in Karimnagar district, demanding the release of water into the Chintakunta canal for Ganesh idol immersion.
The protesters gathered at the canal and raised slogans against the government. Police detained some of the protesters.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar condemned the arrests and alleged police high-handedness against BJP workers and Hindu organisation members who were demanding water for Vinayak immersion.
In a post on X, Bandi Sanjay questioned the government’s handling of protests related to Hindu festivals and said the demand for releasing water for immersion should not be met with police action.
With the Ganesh immersion procession scheduled for September 25, the dispute over immersion arrangements at Tank Bund and other locations is likely to remain a key issue in Hyderabad during the final days of the festivities.
