BJP Karnataka president B.Y. Vijayendra has opposed reported police restrictions on bursting firecrackers on public roads during Ganeshotsav idol immersions, warning the Congress-led government against measures he said could create tension during the festival.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Vijayendra said nobody opposed police action against illegal activities, but described statements suggesting that firecrackers should not be burst on public roads during idol immersions as unacceptable. His comments place the management of religious processions, public-road use and police restrictions at the centre of an emerging political dispute in Karnataka.
Vijayendra said entering a mosque and bursting firecrackers would be illegal and should not be permitted. However, he argued that citing such an incident to prohibit firecrackers on public roads more broadly would be an excessive response. His remarks were directed at what he described as a restrictive interpretation of police instructions during Ganeshotsav celebrations.
The BJP state president also said Hindu communities had been celebrating festivals peacefully and with restraint. He urged the government not to take steps that could test that patience, and warned that the government and the home minister would be responsible if restrictions, threats or unnecessary obstacles to religious practices led to a deterioration in law and order.
Vijayendra called on the home minister and senior police officials to take immediate notice of the police officer’s reported statement. He said action should be taken against the officer if it was established that the remarks had exceeded the limits of the law or had been made in a threatening manner.
The dispute concerns how authorities manage public roads during large religious gatherings. Such events typically require decisions on procession routes, crowd movement, traffic control, public safety and the use of public spaces. In his remarks, however, Vijayendra did not identify the police officer involved, specify the location of the reported instruction or cite a written order setting out the restrictions.
He said BJP workers would also be instructed not to violate the law. At the same time, he questioned whether restrictions on festival celebrations were appropriate, using a comparison with Pakistan to criticise what he described as excessive curbs.
Vijayendra also raised a separate demand for a special legislative session to discuss farmers’ issues, including drought, water shortages and crop losses. He alleged that public money had been wasted in the name of cloud seeding. The source report did not provide a response from the state government, the home minister or the police to his allegations and demands.
