Maddur: Mass Ganesha idol procession begins amid tight police security

Situation in the town was tense since the stone-throwing incident led to clashes on Sunday

Maddur (Mandya dist): The mass Ganesha idol immersion procession commenced amid tight police security in Maddur town of Mandya district on Wednesday, with thousands of enthusiastic people belonging to various Hindu outfits taking part in it.

The situation in the town was tense since the stone-throwing incident during a Ganesha idol immersion procession led to clashes on Sunday.

More than 2,000 police personnel have been deployed in the town and along the procession route as a precautionary measure, supervised by Deputy Inspector-General of Police Boralingaiah and Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baladandi.

The procession started around 12 noon. BJP leaders B Y Vijayendra, R Ashoka, C T Ravi, C N Ashwath Narayan, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and others participated in the procession.

The Ganesha idols were brought near TB Circle in the town, from where the procession commenced. As many as 28 Ganesha idols were taken on a procession on trucks. They passed through Pete Beedhi, covering a 3-km route, before being immersed in the Shimsha river.

A large number of people holding saffron flags and dancing to DJ music took part in the procession. Folk troupes added glitter to the procession.

The district administration has made all arrangements for a peaceful procession. Volunteers were seen distributing buttermilk and 'panaka' at several points along the procession route.

Earlier, Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, alleged that there was no safety in the State after the Congress government came to power. The government has turned blind and mute, he said and alleged that it was a Taliban government.

Sale of liquor has been banned within a radius of around 10 km of Maddur town as a precautionary measure in the wake of the procession.