Tension has risen in Karnataka’s T. Narasipura town following comments made by the local police inspector, Dhananjay, on the Ganesh procession. Hindu Jagarana Vedike has plans to conduct a Shobhayatra in the town on September 18, and the proposed route passes in front of a mosque. The development comes at a time when the police officer’s comments are being widely noted, and the city’s various groups have announced different programmes.
A former Mysuru MP Pratap Simha wrote a Facebook post on the matter. Simha spoke out against the police inspector’s comments that people had not only erected Ganesha idols but also conducted processions in India even after British rule and asked why they would stop doing so now. He also asked people to meet in T. Narasipura. His comment has brought political attention to the issue of the procession.
The Hindu Jagarana Vedike is preparing for the Shobhayatra and has already printed pamphlets for people to attend. It has framed the programme as a response to what it calls the police officer’s ‘threatening remarks’, the organisation said. The procession is scheduled to begin at 4 pm on September 18. The proposed route comprises a stretch in front of a mosque, so security arrangements and route management are significant challenges for local authorities.
The controversy was caused by comments made by T. Narasipura Police Inspector Dhananjay about the movement of a Ganesh procession and the use of firecrackers near a mosque. The comments have been criticised by political and social organisations. If the procession takes place, then we will be closely watching it; police deployment and preventive measures will be very important to ensure that the event is peaceful and if there is a dispute about the route or activities, the legal process will be followed as per the law.
ನಾಳೆ ನರಸೀಪುರದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಗೋಣ… pic.twitter.com/XwC4O8psB2
— Prathap Simha (@mepratap) September 17, 2026
Meanwhile, the Constitution Protection Committee has announced an individual programme in response to the proposed Shobhayatra. They are going to organise a “Samvidhana Rakshana Souharda Ratha Yatra” (the Constitution Protection Harmony Chariot Yatra), which will be a counter-programme. The announcement means that there will be two public programmes going on in the midst of the current controversy, and coordination between the organisers and the administration is necessary.
T. Narasipura will be closely watched as September 18’s programmes proceed. All procession routes, public gatherings and competing claims are to be managed by the administration and police so that law and order is maintained. It is not just that the public place is a sensitive place for religious processions; the route will be in areas with places of worship too.
