Hyderabad: Protests Erupt After Partial Damage to Goddess Durga Idol

On Friday, tensions rose in Hyderabad following the partial damage of a Goddess Durga idol at a Durga Puja pandal by unidentified individuals. The incident occurred at Nampally Exhibition Grounds, under the jurisdiction of the Begum Bazar police station.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Abids), A Chandrasekhar, stated that one of the idol’s hands was damaged during the early hours of Friday. “We launched the investigation and CCTV footage is being verified,” he noted. Authorities are working to identify those responsible.

The damaged idol has since been restored, and worship activities continue at the pandal. However, the act of vandalism sparked outrage among devotees, leading to a protest in Nampally, where demonstrators blocked the main road.

BJP leader Madhavi Latha visited the site and condemned the attack, issuing a warning to those responsible. “It is time for all Hindus to retaliate for whatever vandalisations 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 police have registered a case and initiated an investigation to track down the perpetrators.