Actress and BJP leader Khushbu Sundar joined vibrant Bathukamma celebrations at the Bhagyalakshmi Temple near Hyderabad’s iconic Charminar on Tuesday. As vice president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, she teamed up with women leaders from the Telangana BJP to play the traditional flower arrangements central to the festival.
The event faced hurdles from the start. Hyderabad police initially denied permission, worried about law and order in the sensitive, mixed-community area dotted with multiple places of worship. But a Telangana BJP leader challenged the decision in court, and the Telangana High Court stepped in to greenlight the gathering under strict rules.
Justice N V Shravan Kumar approved the program for just one and a half hours. He limited it to 100 women participants, all with clean criminal records, and banned any VIP invites. The court also ordered organizers to skip songs or political remarks that might upset other communities or groups. Plus, they had to guarantee no disruptions to peace or order.
Dr B Uma Shankar, secretary of the BJP’s Telangana unit, filed the petition arguing that a similar Bathukamma event happened at the same spot in October 2024 without major issues. Government lawyers pushed back, saying the festival could spark unrest, bother tourists, and draw troublemakers in such a crowded, historic site.
Bathukamma, Telangana’s beloved state festival since the state’s formation in 2014, kicked off on Sunday and runs for nine days. Women and girls across the region celebrate this cultural symbol by arranging colorful flowers into Bathukamma stacks, singing folk songs, and dancing around them. It honors nature, and the festival wraps up with immersing the flowers in local ponds—a joyful nod to Telangana’s rich traditions.
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