Hyderabad: Protest erupts over curbs on immersion of PoP idols

Hyderabad: Several idols were allegedly stopped from being immersed in the Hussain Sagar late on Monday on the grounds that they were made of plaster of Paris, in line with the Telangana High Court reiterating that such a ban imposed previously was still in place.

Following this, hundreds of pandal organizers and devotees, backed by a few organisations associated with the Ganesh festivities, sat on an impromptu protest on Tank Bund, blocking traffic movement for close to an hour. The organisers demanded that the state government intervene, approach the High Court and ensure that the idols were immersed in in Hussain Sagar as usual.

As a result of the protest, traffic flow was affected in roads two km away from Tank Bund. Police who were stationed on Tank Bund were caught off-guard by the protest.

“ We have been coming here for immersion for so many years. The big day is nearing and such orders will not only play spoilsport but also hurt the sentiments of lakhs of devotees,” said a pandal organiser.

After repeated attempts to persuade the protestors to clear the road failed, police detained them protestors. “The roads have been cleared for traffic,” said central zone DCP M. Venkateswarlu.