Hyderabad: Heavy police deployment at Lal Darwaza for Bonalu festival

Hyderabad: Heavy police deployment was made at Mekala Banda in Lal Darwaza to avoid a repeat of last year’s clashes between two families over who would become the Pothuraju during Bonalu. Senior police officials including DCP (South) P Sai Chaitanya, Additional DCP B Anand and teams of the City Rapid Action Force, Task Force and […]

Hyderabad: Heavy police deployment was made at Mekala Banda in Lal Darwaza to avoid a repeat of last year’s clashes between two families over who would become the Pothuraju during Bonalu.

Senior police officials including DCP (South) P Sai Chaitanya, Additional DCP B Anand and teams of the City Rapid Action Force, Task Force and local civil police were deployed. A tear gas shelling vehicle – Vajra – was also stationed in the area.

---

An issue is brewing between the local Posani family and a local Yadav group. A member from the Posani family has for decades been officially the Pothuraju during the Bonalu festivities at the Simhavahini Mahankali Lal Darwaza temple. However, for the last three years, a member from the Yadav community was also donning the garb of Pothuraju and visiting the temple. There were differences with the temple committee as well.

The police had held a series of meetings with both the groups to resolve the issue. On Monday, the Pothuraju from the Yadav group visited the temple to offer prayers while the one from the Posani family visited later and was designated the official Pothuraju.

The police presence will continue till Tuesday evening.