Protest turns controversial as Ganesha idol ends up in police van

(Photo: Social Media)

Bengaluru: A protest in Bengaluru became a spectacle when a police inspector was filmed placing a Ganesh idol into a police van—a vehicle typically used for detaining protesters. The act quickly captured media attention, sparking outrage and transforming what had been a local event into a national talking point.

The protest was organised by the Bengaluru Metropolitan Ganesh Utsav Committee in response to an alleged stone-pelting incident during a Ganesh immersion procession in Nagamangala.

Tempers flared when police, having initially denied permission for the demonstration, attempted to manage the situation by moving the idol from the van to a police jeep. However, the damage was already done—the sight of a sacred idol being handled in this way ignited public anger.

Adding to the tension, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped into the debate during an election rally in Haryana. "The whole country is celebrating Ganesh Utsav today, but Congress is obstructing it," he declared, framing the issue within a broader political context.

"Appeasement is the biggest goal for Congress. Today, the situation has become such that even Ganpati is being put behind bars in the Congress-ruled state of Karnataka."

Modi’s remarks further inflamed the controversy, casting it as a struggle between religious freedom and political appeasement.

"Today’s Congress has become a new form of urban Naxal. They don’t even feel ashamed of lying anymore," he added, intensifying his critique.

What began as a local protest over a religious procession has now spiralled into a national debate, with critics accusing the Congress government in Karnataka of mishandling religious events.