T Narasipur Ganesh Procession Row Escalates, BJP Leaders Target Police Restrictions

MYSURU, SEPT 12: A police warning against taking out a Ganesh Chaturthi procession or bursting firecrackers in front of a mosque at T. Narasipur in Mysuru district has triggered a political controversy, with Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wodeyar and former MP Pratap Simha strongly criticising the restrictions.

The controversy erupted after a video of T. Narasipur Police Inspector Dhananjaya addressing a peace meeting ahead of the Ganesh festival went viral on social media.

Inspector Dhananjaya instructed organisers to take the procession only along the route designated by the police and said the procession would not be permitted on the T. Narasipur Link Road. He also warned organisers against holding processions or bursting firecrackers in front of mosques and cautioned that strict legal action would be taken if the prescribed conditions were violated or law and order was disturbed.

Police have deployed additional security personnel in the area and asked organisers to adhere to the designated routes for Ganesh idol installation and immersion.

Reacting to the police warning, Mr. Wodeyar alleged that the state government had been imposing stringent conditions on Hindu festivals and religious processions for the past three years. He said public roads should not be restricted for religious processions merely because they pass in front of a mosque or temple, and alleged that such restrictions could create unnecessary divisions in society.

Former MP Pratap Simha launched a sharper attack on the police inspector, questioning his authority to threaten youths over the procession. Reacting to the inspector's warning, Mr. Simha said, "Show your manhood here," and alleged that the police were displaying an attitude reminiscent of the British era. He also questioned what he described as restrictions on Hindu festivals and raised the issue of loudspeaker use at mosques.

Local BJP leader Arjun Ramesh also opposed the police restrictions, claiming that T. Narasipur had historically remained free of communal riots. He accused officials of deliberately portraying the Link Road as a "mosque road" and warned that Hindu organisations would consider holding a mass protest if restrictions were imposed on the Ganesh immersion procession.

The controversy has intensified ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, putting the local administration under pressure to balance religious celebrations with public safety and law-and-order concerns.