Political Songs at Hyderabad Ganesh Immersion Spark Police Warning and BRS Backlash

Ganesh immersion celebrations in Hyderabad have become the centre of a political row after songs associated with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and its chief K Chandrasekhar Rao were played during the festivities. Videos of young revellers dancing to the tracks, recorded around Tank Bund and Hussain Sagar, circulated widely on social media, turning a devotional occasion into a confrontation between the ruling establishment and the opposition.

Hyderabad City Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said strict action would follow any violations during the celebrations. He stated that DJs and high-volume sound systems have already been banned, and that cases are being registered over vulgar or obscene songs and reels. A social media team, he said, is working round the clock to monitor and document objectionable content, with material to be reviewed after the festival so that stringent action can be taken where violations are established.

The Commissioner appealed to pandal organisers to avoid obscene, vulgar or provocative songs and urged parents to keep children away from vulgar dances, stressing that Ganesh Chaturthi is a devotional festival whose sanctity should be preserved. Police have also cautioned against hate speech, inflammatory content and rumours on social media.

BRS leaders have pushed back, contending that action against those playing KCR-associated songs amounts to suppression of political expression. Party social media convenor M Krishank invoked the phrase "Hitler rule" while criticising the Telangana government's handling of opposition voices.

The dispute comes as Hyderabad gears up for one of its largest Ganesh immersion processions, scheduled for Friday. Nearly 20,000 police personnel are being deployed across the city, backed by CCTV, drone and other surveillance systems, with authorities urging devotees to celebrate peacefully and adhere to the prescribed rules.