Asaduddin urges CM to secure trained elephant for festivities

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad MP and AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi has urged the Telangana government to arrange a trained elephant on a permanent basis for religious processions in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The MP raised the issue in a letter addressed to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, asking the government to take immediate and serious steps.

In his letter, Owaisi pointed out that Hyderabad and Secunderabad host several religious processions every year, which form an important part of the city’s religious and cultural fabric. He stressed that trained elephants play a key role in many of these events, and the lack of a locally available trained animal has become a recurring problem for organisers.

Owaisi wrote: “Trained elephants are used in these religious processions like Muharram, Bonalu, and Gyarvi Shareef. There used to be a trained elephant available in Telangana State which was utilised during these processions. However, since the death of that elephant, there is no trained elephant in Telangana. Every year, during these occasions, a trained animal needs to be arranged from other states, which causes significant hurdles and inconvenience.”

The MP highlighted that sourcing an elephant from neighbouring states every year creates avoidable logistical issues and delays. He suggested that these repeated temporary arrangements put undue pressure on both organisers and authorities during major religious occasions. Consequently, he urged the state government to find a permanent solution.

Appealing to the Chief Minister to look into the matter seriously, Owaisi requested that the government initiate action to ensure a trained elephant is housed within Telangana. He stated that such a step would ensure processions take place smoothly, reduce dependence on other states, and avoid further inconvenience to devotees.