Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi demands removal of immersion restrictions at Tank Bund

Hyderabad: Following the ban imposed by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Hyderabad city police on Ganesh immersion at Tank Bund, members of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi took action on Sunday. They removed the flex banners and barricades set up by the authorities and urged the state government to revoke the restrictions on the immersion of Ganesh idols at Tank Bund.

The members of the Samithi expressed their strong discontent with the authority’s decision, on the restrictions imposed on immersion of Ganesh idols at Tank Bund. In a bold move, the leaders of Ganesh Utsav Samithi dismantled the barricades put in place by authorities. Demonstrating their commitment to honoring their traditions, they also took down the flex banners that had been prominently displayed and announced a ban on idol immersion at Tank Bund, following the High Court's directives.

On Sunday, the leaders of the Samithi took the initiative to immerse an idol brought by devotees, bypassing a barricade. They asserted that there were no legal restrictions preventing the immersion of idols in the lake. The police, who did not intervene during the event, subsequently re-erected the barricade at the same location.

Later, the Ganesh Utsav Samithi demanded the government to make all necessary arrangements for immersion on Tank Bund at earliest.

Samithi General Secretary Rajya Vardhan Reddy said the government should help in the smooth and peaceful conduct of immersion by not imposing any restrictions. He said if the government fails to make the arrangements by removing the barricades, there will be direct action.

He claimed that the Samithi had been organising immersion of idols from Tank Bund for the last 45 years with the help of the government. He warned that the devotees would not tolerate this and declared that they would immerse the idols in Tank Bund.

Though authorities have made the arrangements for immersion into the lake from NTR Marg and Necklace Road sides, they imposed restrictions on Tank Bund.

The Ganesh Utsav Samithi claimed that the High Court has not barred immersion into Hussain Sagar and hence there should be no restrictions.

Rajya Vardhan mentioned that during the review meeting led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, which included the Director General of Police, police commissioners, and department heads, there was no mention of a ban on immersion at Tank Bund.