Hyderabad: Tight security for Ganesha Chaturthi

Hyderabad: With inputs trickling in that terrorists may strike anywhere in the country to “convey their anger” at the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35 A in Jammu and Kashmir, a fresh security alert has been sounded specifically in Telangana, Maharashtra and Gujarat where Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated on a massive scale. The festival commences on September 2.

The Hyderabad city police is busy giving final touches to the security arrangements for the 11-day mega festival and last minute strategies are being finalised to ensure the festival passes of peacefully.

Highly placed sources told Deccan Chronicle that the Centre has specifically sent the alert to these states where Ganesha Chaturthi festival is celebrated on a grand scale. In fact, on the last day, when the Ganesh idols are immersed, massive processions are taken out throughout the day where lakhs of people participate. The immersion proceedings go on well past midnight and continue till the small hours of the next day. “Hyderabad has nothing to do with abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir but we have alerted the states as there are inputs to suggest that terror groups or their sleeper cells are desperate to strike around this time as Pakistan is bent upon fomenting trouble anywhere in the country, if not in J&K immediately. Ganesha Chaturthi festival is celebrated on a massive scale in Hyderabad, Mumbai among other cities and we have asked the forces to leave nothing to chance,” a senior official in New Delhi said.

Intelligence agencies believe that Hyderabad and some other cities have a sizable number of sleeper cells who can be activated quickly.  Each year, the Hyderabad city police plans massive security arrangements for the Ganesha festival, especially as the mammoth procession on the last day passes through the sensitive localities of the Old City. The police mostly work round-the-clock on all the days till the festival comes to an end.

“Our worry is that even if there are no terror incidents as such, there could be efforts made to foment large scale communal violence and festivals like these can often become the target of the nefarious designs of the anti-national elements. Moreover, BJP is also looking to form its government in Telangana and this could be one of the triggers for those groups who want to convey their anger to the Centre for scrapping article 370 and bifurcating the state of J&K,” the officials said adding that since there is a complete lock down in J&K, the terror groups are desperate to strike anywhere in the country.