Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Hyderabad city police have placed a ban on the immersion of Ganesh idols at Tank Bund. In response, members of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi took action on Sunday. They removed flex banners and barricades set up by the authorities, urging the state government to lift the restrictions on idol immersion at Tank Bund.
The Samithi members expressed strong displeasure over these restrictions. In a bold move, they dismantled the barricades installed by the authorities to prevent immersion. They also took down banners that announced the ban, following directives from the High Court. The members emphasized their dedication to preserving their traditions.
On the same day, leaders of the Samithi bypassed a barricade and led the immersion of a Ganesh idol brought by devotees. They argued that there were no legal barriers stopping the immersion of idols in the lake. While the police did not intervene during the event, they later re-erected the barricade at the same spot.
Afterward, the Samithi called on the government to make immediate arrangements for the immersion of Ganesh idols at Tank Bund. Samithi General Secretary Rajya Vardhan Reddy stated that the government should allow the immersion without imposing restrictions. He warned that if the barricades were not removed, the Samithi would take direct action.
Reddy also highlighted that the Samithi has conducted Ganesh idol immersions at Tank Bund for the past 45 years with government cooperation. He warned that devotees would not tolerate the current restrictions and were determined to immerse idols at Tank Bund as they always had.
Although authorities have made provisions for immersion from NTR Marg and Necklace Road, they have enforced restrictions at Tank Bund. The Samithi argued that the High Court has not prohibited immersion in Hussain Sagar, and therefore, the restrictions are unjustified.
Rajya Vardhan Reddy also pointed out that during a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, which included top officials such as the Director General of Police and police commissioners, there was no mention of a ban on immersion at Tank Bund.
