BJP MP DK Aruna Criticizes Telangana Government Over Bathukamma Festival Permissions
Hyderabad: BJP MP DK Aruna has voiced her strong disapproval of the necessity for court permission to celebrate the Bathukamma festival, criticizing the Congress-led Telangana government during an event organized by the BJP Mahila Morcha near Charminar on Friday, October 4.
Aruna expressed her disappointment over the High Court’s intervention to permit the Bathukamma festival at the Bhagyalakshmi temple, deeming it “regrettable for women to have to seek legal permission to celebrate their cultural heritage.” Her remarks come after Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court granted permission in response to a plea from BJP state Mahila Morcha president V. Shilpa Reddy, allowing a limited gathering for the event.
The court’s order stipulated that the event could host no more than 100 participants and must take place between 4 PM and 6 PM. Additionally, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Charminar, was instructed to enforce strict conditions, including a ban on DJ music and political speeches.
The Bhagyalaxmi temple, where the festival was set to be celebrated, has been embroiled in controversy regarding its legitimacy. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has classified the temple as an unauthorized construction, claiming it was built after 1959, thus violating the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR) of 1958. This act designates a prohibited area of 100 meters around protected monuments, such as the Charminar, where any new construction is illegal without ASI approval.
Aruna’s comments highlight ongoing tensions surrounding cultural celebrations and government regulations, raising questions about the intersection of law, tradition, and politics in Telangana.
