Hyderabad: An idol of Goddess Durga installed at Nampally Exhibition Ground was found vandalised by unidentified persons on Friday, sparking instant protests. Begum Bazaar police have formed teams to track down the accused.
Abids ACP A. Chandrasekhar said that the damage to the idol was repaired immediately and the venue opened to devotees for the Puja.
Police said the venue was monitored by a watchman. As part of the Navaratri celebrations, organised by the BJP Yuva Morcha state secretary Kompally Arvind Kumar, a Dandiya event was also held at the venue on Friday to which the police provided security.
Kishore, a worker who was assisting in organising the Puja and cleaning the idol premises, that CCTV cameras were broken and power supply was cut. The watchman noticed the vandalism and called the police, the DCP said.
BJP leader Madhavi Latha and her followers offered prayers and staged a brief protest against the vandalism, near Exhibition Ground.
Telangana BJP president and Union minister G. Kishan Reddy strongly condemned the desecration of the idol. “It is highly outrageous. The government must take stringent action,” he said
BJP spokesperson N.V. Subhash said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Mohabbat ki Dukaan’ clearly hds selective service.
Other devotees and groups too took up protest in a peaceful manner, demanding the police take action and ensure justice. Surya Kiran, and a resident of Nampally, deplored the vandalism and demanded that the accused be caught and punishment.
Central zone DCP Akanksha Yadav stated that the mendicant was not responsible for the incident and the police were on the look-out for those who damaged the idol.
