A Ganesha statue installed in the form of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on the occasion of Vinayaka Chavithi in Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad has sparked a huge controversy. Local MLA T. Rajasingh has expressed strong objection to the statue, alleging that it hurts Hindu sentiments.
He has asked the Hyderabad Police Commissioner to immediately remove the statue and the mandapam. As part of the Vinayaka Chavithi celebrations, a Ganesha statue was installed in Habib Nagar, Goshamahal under the auspices of Telangana Fisheries Co-operative Societies Federation Chairman and Congress leader Mettu Sai Kumar.
The statue is designed with the theme of “Telangana Rising”, in which Ganesha is seen in the getup of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in black pants, white shirt and green scarf. The design was inspired by a photo of Revanth Reddy’s previous Padayatra.
Sai Kumar said, “For the last 5-10 years, we have been setting up idols with movie themes. This time, we have chosen this design to showcase the development of Telangana and CM Revanth Reddy’s vision.” He said that their intention is to convey the message of “Telangana progress” through the idol and that they want the state to move forward with the blessings of Lord Ganesha.
However, the idol has come under severe criticism from devotees and locals after it went viral on social media. One X user said, “Festivals should bring devotion and unity, not political narratives.” In a Police complaint MLA Rajasingh described the idol as an “insult to Hindu sentiments.”
In a letter to Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand, he said, “Although Revanth Reddy is the Chief Minister of Telangana, he is not God. Depicting the Ganesha idol in his form is hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community.” He said that this action denigrates the sanctity of the festival and Lord Ganesha and demanded that the idol and the mandapa be removed immediately, respecting religious beliefs and for social harmony.
Following Raja Singh’s complaint, on Wednesday, on the orders of the police, Sai Kumar removed the controversial idol and installed another Ganesha idol. Local devotees and Hindu organizations also opposed the move, expressing their anger that “it is not right to use a holy festival like Ganesha Chavithi for political purposes.”
