Published Sep 16, 2026 | 5:28 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 16, 2026 | 5:29 PM
The procession, backed by the BJP-JD(S), involved the immersion of 108 Ganesha idols. (X/@KeypadGuerilla)
Synopsis: BJP-JD(S) workers clashed with police during a mass Ganesha immersion procession in Maddur, Karnataka, after police stopped attempts to burst crackers near a mosque. Earlier in the day, Mandya BJP president Indresh NS had said the procession would pass the mosque despite police instructions and had challenged the authorities to stop it “if they had the guts”.
BJP-JD(S) workers clashed with police personnel during a mass Ganesha idol immersion procession in Maddur, Mandya district, Karnataka, on Wednesday, 16 September, after the police objected to participants dancing and bursting firecrackers near a mosque along the procession route.
The procession, backed by the BJP-JD(S), involved the immersion of 108 Ganesha idols. The police had permitted the procession along the designated route but prohibited the use of DJs.
More than 600 police personnel, including personnel from the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), had been deployed for the procession. Around 30 CCTV cameras were installed along the route.
Earlier in the day, Mandya BJP district president Indresh NS said the procession would pass in front of a mosque on Pet Street, where communal tensions had broken out during last year’s Ganesha procession, despite police instructions against it. He challenged the authorities to stop the procession.
“We will hold a massive mass immersion procession in Maddur. 10,000–15,000 Hindu activists will participate. We will take the procession right in front of the mosque. No one should tell us not to go there. We will proceed with DJs and cultural troupes. If you have the guts, come and stop us,” Indresh said, according to Kannada Prabha.
During the procession, a heated exchange broke out between the police and some of the processionists after the police stopped attempts to burst crackers in front of the mosque. Senior police officers subsequently intervened, and additional personnel were deployed near the mosque.
The flare-up came days after BJP leaders descended on T Narasipura town in neighbouring Mysuru district on Sunday after Town Inspector Dhananjaya warned youths seeking permission for a Ganesh Chaturthi procession against taking it in front of a mosque and bursting crackers.
The saffron party leadership alleged that the inspector had imposed “stringent conditions” and threatened the youths seeking permission to hold the procession. Right-wing social media accounts gave the remarks a communal spin.
South First had previously reported that the inspector’s warning came near the end of a nine-minute briefing in which Dhananjaya told the organisers to prioritise their safety and that of devotees while ensuring that the celebrations did not inconvenience or hurt others.
Subsequently, Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday urged people celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi to cooperate with police personnel managing Ganesha processions across the State.
Kharge noted the scale of the celebrations in Karnataka and the number of police personnel deployed to manage the processions.
(With inputs from Keerthivas)
