Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has permitted the celebration of the Bathukamma festival near Charminar on Tuesday September 23, subject to strict conditions. The petition was filed by the BJP after police denied permission, and Justice N. V. Shravan Kumar granted conditional approval.
According to the court order, the festival will be held near the temple at the Charminar precincts with the participation of only 100 women, none of whom should have any criminal record. The organizers were directed not to invite any prominent personalities to the event.
BJP Telangana Secretary Uma Shankar had approached the High Court after the Charminar ACP denied permission citing the sensitivity of the location. Government counsel defended the ACP’s decision, arguing that the event could disturb law and order and inconvenience tourists. He also expressed concern that a large gathering of women might lead to untoward situations.
It was, however, pointed out to the court that in October 2024, the festival was allowed at the same venue under similar restrictions and no untoward incident had occurred.
After hearing arguments, the High Court allowed the festival to be conducted on September 23 between 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The court imposed restrictions, instructing organizers to avoid singing political songs or making political statements during the event. The police were given authority to take action against organizers in case of any violation of the conditions.
