A protest erupted in Hyderabad on Friday following the partial damage of a Goddess Durga idol at a Durga Puja pandal. The incident occurred at the Nampally Exhibition Grounds, under the jurisdiction of the Begum Bazar police station, raising tensions in the area.
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Abids) A. Chandrasekhar, the vandalism took place in the early hours of Friday when one of the idol’s hands was damaged by unidentified individuals. “We launched an investigation and are currently verifying CCTV footage,” he stated.
In response to the incident, devotees gathered at the pandal, expressing their outrage and blocking the main road in Nampally. The situation escalated as BJP leader Madhavi Latha visited the site to lend her support. She condemned the act of vandalism, asserting that such attacks would provoke a strong reaction from the Hindu community. “It is time for all Hindus to retaliate for whatever vandalizations are happening. Probably they are thinking that they are going to break us up. But they are uniting us by doing such things again and again. I warn them,” she said.
The pandal organizers promptly filed a complaint with the Begum Bazar police, who were quick to respond by visiting the location. Initial investigations suggest that the miscreants may have moved a donation box, leading to the damage of the idol’s hand.
Fortunately, the idol has since been restored, allowing worship to continue at the pandal despite the unsettling incident. The police have registered a case and are actively investigating the matter, with hopes that the CCTV footage will help identify the culprits behind this act of vandalism.
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