VHP, Bajrang Dal Workers Flag Presence of 22 Non-Hindus at Dandiya Event in Begumpet

Hyderabad: Tension erupted at a Dandiya event at the Hockey Grounds in Begumpet, Hyderabad, on Thursday night after workers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal allegedly found around 22 non-Hindus at the venue, leading to a scuffle and a police investigation.

According to Telangana Bajrang Dal, its workers visited the venue following credible information and found 22 non-Hindus attending the festival. The organisation alleged that some of them were playing Dandiya with women, while others were recording videos of women.The workers claimed that when they questioned the individuals about their details, the latter attempted to attack them. The VHP and Bajrang Dal workers subsequently handed the individuals over to the police and filed a complaint.

Police reached the spot after receiving information and brought the situation under control. A Begumpet police official said that an investigation into the matter was underway.

Earlier, the VHP and Bajrang Dal had submitted a representation to the Telangana Police requesting that non-Hindus not be allowed to attend Dandiya events. They had also appealed to event organisers to restrict entry to non-Hindus, stating that Navratri is a festival celebrated only by Hindus.

Meanwhile, the Hyderabad Police on Friday conducted ‘Operation Kavach’ across the city police station jurisdictions in the Charminar Zone to curb illegal activities and strengthen public safety, with more than 3,000 personnel participating in the drive.

During the operation, several vehicles plying without number plates were seized, and suspicious persons were taken into custody.The operation focused on frisking suspicious individuals and checking vehicles without number plates to detect illegal items, including narcotics and weapons. Police also took action against vehicles displaying unauthorised VIP markings or featuring illegal modifications